Socio-Economic Development in Pakistan’s Rural Areas through CPEC

Abstract

China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been a central topic of discussion in
Pakistan’s political discourse for over a decade now. It has been termed as a regional
game changer. This research article aims at analyzing the causes of socio-economic
development in Pakistan’s rural regions because of the CPEC. It evaluates the role of
CPEC in the rural development and poverty reduction and explores how there existed
or has been an enhancement of the quality of living standards in the areas that are
affected by the CPEC projects. The results depicted improvement in infrastructure,
agricultural productivity, employment, and basic services. However, difficulties that are
still present include the impacts on environment and the question of government
control. In the final section of the article, measures that the policymakers should take to
ensure that the CPEC benefits flow to the rural area have been outlined. This study
employed mixed method to review and analyze data. Inductive and deductive
reasoning was used to develop and substantiate the arguments.