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.