A Critical Assessment of China’s Interests in Afghanistan: Post U.S. Military Withdrawal

By Zara Qurban

Since the withdrawal of the U.S. troops and its European allies after decades of war in April 2021, Afghanistan is entangled in the wickedest kind of security. Afghanistan’s commandeering by the Taliban after the U.S. military withdrawal has presented the regional States with many new emerging challenges. An abrupt withdrawal of the U.S. military from Afghanistan has created a huge power vacuum and neighboring States are extending helping hands to avert the possible fall of Afghanistan.

Countries such as Pakistan, Russia, India, Iran, and Turkey have their own grounds to intervene but now the global is on China including re-evaluating its persistent ‘non-interference’ policy. China was against the invasion of the U.S. military and also opposed the abrupt withdrawal stating that it will leave Afghanistan in the mayhem. China’s Foreign Ministry said, “the recent abrupt U.S. announcement of complete withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan has led to a succession of explosive attacks throughout the country, worsening the security situation and threatening peace and stability as well as people’s life and safety.”

Many spectators are considering the exchange of dialogues between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the Taliban leaders an attempt by China to exert more influence in the region. But, China does not look at Afghanistan from the lens of prospects, the Chinese influence and involvement, especially after the U.S. military withdrawal, is all about the management of threats. Another observation entails that Chinese political and economic interest in Afghanistan revolve around the wariness of Afghanistan becoming a safe haven for militant groups targeting China like the last time Taliban were in power.

Though Mullah Baradar and Wang Yi in Tianjin have been in contact for decades, the Taliban’s ideological agenda does not fit well with China. Andrew Small, Associate Senior Policy Fellow, states, “China certainly has substantial commercial and economic interests in the wider region, but they are minimal in Afghanistan itself. Its major investments there, the Aynak copper mine and the Amu Darya energy projects, have been in stasis for many years. There have been numerous discussions about Afghanistan’s involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative, including connections to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, but Beijing’s view has been that, in Afghanistan, stability has to precede serious new economic commitments.” Other than copper, Afghanistan has untouched mines of minerals such as cobalt, iron, mercury, and lithium which are estimated to a value of about $1 trillion. In order to maintain better political and economic relations with Afghanistan, China offered to rebuild the infrastructure “by funneling funds directly to the group through Pakistan.” As a result to continuous exchange of dialogues and China’s commitment of support in Afghanistan, the spokesman for the Taliban Political Office in Qatar established that they recognize China “as a friend of Afghanistan”, he also stated that the Taliban and Afghanistan will no longer provide refuge or safe haven to Muslim Uyghurs. On one occasion the Chinese foreign minister said that the Taliban are expected “to play an important role in the progress of peaceful reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan.” China’s policy towards Afghanistan is primarily based on the security implications resulting from the U.S. and Taliban peace agreement, which China believes in not going in the right direction. The disturbances, instability, and radicalization will eventually seep through the borders into China. As per the researchers based in Afghanistan, “through military assistance, China helped Kabul build its military mountain brigade in the Wakhan Corridor near Afghanistan’s northern Badakhshan province with the primary goal of preventing infiltration by the Islamic State into China.” It is believed that Beijing will keep close bilateral ties with Afghanistan in order to tightly manage any spillover into China by engaging all its diplomatic energies because it fears that the success of the Taliban might encourage militant groups to carry out terror activities. If the security situation becomes better in Afghanistan, China is likely to go forward with more investment plans and programs but it will be very cautious.

Understanding 2021 Inflationary Spiral in Pakistan

By Hira Shakeel

For the people of developing countries an increase in prices of basic goods, especially food items and fuel hike in comparison to the little or no increase in the wages has become a struggle for survival. This situation presents additional challenges for the daily wage earners and for the low-income households. The rate of inflation in Pakistan has edged up to a daunting double figure of 10.9%, which presents a gloomy picture for the poor. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) recorded a price hike of 9% from 8.4% in September alone on consumer items. In 2018, the increase of inflation was recorded at 3.93%, but three years later this has increased to more than 10%. Pakistan is a net importer of energy and relies on the exports of raw materials, especially from the agricultural sector. The fluctuation in the prices of the raw material in the international market affects the stability of the local market in Pakistan, making it more fragile. For years, modernizing and strengthening the agricultural base of the country has been neglected by the leaders. This neglect has proved detrimental, because although Pakistan is majorly an agricultural country, it has become a net food importer. Moreover, as Pakistan imports oil from abroad, the purchase weighs heavily on the import bill of the country. Any increase in the price of fuel globally, does not only lead to inflation in Pakistan but at the same time the exchange rate is pressurized downward which makes imports more expensive. This eventually leads to a trade deficit, i.e., when the country’s monetary value of imports surpasses the monetary value of exports.

Neglect of the agriculture sector coupled with the failure to address the domestic supply disruption, for instance the unforeseen shortage of wheat and sugar, have contributed to the hike of prices. Although the claim of the government that prices of the products have been increasing globally since the spread of the pandemic in 2019 is not wrong. However, claiming to still have the lowest prices as compared to the regional countries is partially true. In comparison to India or Bangladesh the prices of petroleum might be lower in Pakistan but at the same time country’s even lower per capita income wipes out the advantage of these low prices.

Most of the basic goods, which includes food items such as sugar, rice, ghee, wheat, energy, telecom services, transportation and clothing have seen a surge in prices. Any increase in the prices of electricity or fuel, impacts the prices of three sectors in Pakistan, namely food, transportation and housing. The limited employment opportunities and the low wages have made it difficult for the people to fulfil their basic needs. While the job opportunities are diminishing, the surge in prices is making it unbearable for the people. The living standard of a common man continues to depreciate due to higher inflation. A pro-poor policy does not mean an increase in the regressive nature of taxes, i.e., those taxes which is applicable to be paid by citizens regardless of their income. Further, the direct tax is mostly left unaccountable due to the negligence of the authorities as it remains undocumented. Any increase in the direct taxes, means an increase in the prices. This has a direct impact on a common man, as his purchasing power parity drops. When such a situation arises it eventually pushes a family towards lower standards of living, due to the constrained choices. At a societal level, an increase in direct taxes, leads to a hike in prices of common goods, consequently widening the gap between social classes. The purchasing power parity of an individual with fixed income is most affected because there is no increase in their income. In the longer run, a persistent situation like this can lead to a conflict within the country. According to a report issued by the UNDP, inflation has become a headache for almost every citizen in Pakistan except those 20 percent who own more than half of the country’s wealth. If inflation has become a challenge for the people, it presents a challenge for the government too. Before suggesting what the government can do to control the prices, it is crucial to look at the origin of the challenge. Primarily, major industrial economies have been vulnerable due to COVID-19, but their recovery has been recorded much quicker than expected. This has increased global consumption of energy and other commodities. Therefore, there has been a hike in the fuel prices globally. Additionally, the prices of products such as palm oil, wheat, sugar, and fertilizers have also increased. Eventually when the products are shipped and land in Pakistan there is an additional cost, which makes these commodities expensive. Considering this global hike in prices and adding the issue of the deprecating Pakistani rupee against dollar presents a two-fold challenge. This has a direct impact on the imports of Pakistan, thus the reason for the increase in prices. The strengthening of the rupee is not an easy task, because it is directly attached to the condition of the national economy and the inflow as well as the outflow of the foreign exchange. In the case of Pakistan, the economic growth is slow and weak, plus the outflow of foreign exchange is much higher than the inflow, appreciating the value of rupee is unlikely. Keeping the value of rupee higher against the US dollar will have a huge impact on the economic condition of Pakistan because the meager foreign reserves that Pakistan has will be used for this purpose. The little foreign reserves that the State Bank of Pakistan has are important to meet the trade deficit of the country. Much of the hike in prices is due to the reason that Pakistan is receiving aid from the international donor agencies on certain conditionalities, which require devaluation of the currency, cutting down on subsidies and welfare projects and increasing prices. There is a serious need to amend the economic policies in the country and focus on strengthening the industrial and agricultural base of the country if the government wants to address the challenge of uncontrollable inflation. Secondly, at both district and level, the weak administrative mechanism has led to the hike in prices. It is due to their weakness that there is a gap between the wholesale price and retail price. However, to such challenges there is no quick or immediate solution. For swift action the government can reduce the duties and taxes on the imported items but in the longer run it can lead to fiscal deficit. The only way that Pakistan can overcome its current economic challenges, is by focusing on increasing its exports which will increase the inflow of dollar in the country. Besides increasing its exports, Pakistan can induce foreign direct investments (FDIs), and open more channels for securing remittances from Pakistanis in foreign countries. Until and unless, the government does not address the economic challenges, create more job opportunities, give subsidies to the local industries, and improve the purchasing power parity of its citizens, inflation will remain the biggest obstacle to Pakistan’s growth.

Strengthening Pakistan’s Climate change policy

By: Saddam Tahir

Climate change is not only an environmental challenge; rather it has evolved into a security and developmental challenges over the years for countries across the globe. With changing climate scenarios, Pakistan’s development model needs to go through a paradigm shift, creating a second climate science arm. All economic planning and investments, out of necessity, need to be an exercise in planning and investment of climate adaptation, duly informed by institutions generating climate knowledge and providing climate services. Climate services can help the country pursue three tracks:

•           Climate adaptation

•           Disaster-risk reduction

•           Sustainable development

In the annual report for 2020, Global Climate Risk Index has placed Pakistan on the fifth position on the list of countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. According to the report from 1999 to 2018 Pakistan has experienced 152 extreme weather hazards, faced economic loss worth $3.8 billion and 9,989 people have died. Based on the statistics recorded by the think tank, report concluded that Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change is intensifying. The report points out that Pakistan is “recurrently affected by catastrophes and continuously rank among the most affected countries both in the long-term index and in the index for the respective year”. Due to the geographical location, Pakistan has become most vulnerable to climate change and hence placed on the long-term index of the report. One of the co-author of the report David Eckstein registers in the report that “the entire region where Pakistan is located is prone to extreme weather events, in particular, heavy rainfalls e.g. during monsoon season, and floodings as a result.”

This year’s report is particularly relevant for Pakistan as climate change is fast “increasing variability in the water cycle, inducing a greater number of extreme weather events, reducing the predictability of water availability, and adversely affecting water quality”.

Three water-related issues are central to climate adaptation in Pakistan: a) Water stress, reflected in increasing uncertainty and scarcity. b) Hazards and disasters, reflected in floods, droughts, storms surges, and glacier lake outbursts. c) Water quality, reflected in the deteriorating quality of ground and surface water used for drinking, irrigation and industry. As the early warning systems continue to be underdeveloped and underutilized, the national meteorological and hydrological services remain weak. National public institutions mandated to provide hydrological information, therefore, lack the necessary capacities needed to provide climate services for water. The results are perilous: human, social and economic losses are continuously soaring as floods have globally increased by 134 per cent and droughts by 20pc in the last two decades. This gives Pakistan all the more reason to augment climate services. Despite international support and growing climate vulnerabilities, Pakistan has not developed its National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS). The presence of an NFCS will provide an institutional mechanism to coordinate, facilitate and enhance collaboration among national institutions to improve, jointly produce, deliver and use science-based climate projections and services. Some regional countries like China and India who developed robust national frameworks have successfully accessed global science and technology, as the GFCS seeks to build on continued improvements in climate forecasting to increase access to the best climate data. Planners, investors and vulnerable communities have the right to benefit from easy-to-use information so that they can plan and cope with projected trends and scenarios. Since Pakistan’s datasets on temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, snowfall in glacial areas, ocean conditions and winds are absent or inaccessible, policymakers are not always informed about long-term historical averages of these parameters or their risks. Development planners end up shooting in the dark by taking decisions without knowing long-term projections and trends. However, Pakistan’s leadership remains fully committed to addressing the concerns and threats of climate change. As multiple projects of reforestation took place in last few years to tackle the natural disasters.

Deadliest Protests in Myanmar

For over a month now the unarmed civilians have gathered in streets and markets to protest against the illegal grab of power by the new military rulers of Myanmar, who ousted the democratically elected government. The security forces continue the use of lethal force against the demonstrators protesting against the military coup and detention of the political leaders. Protestors in Myanmar are determined to take effective measures for restoring democracy which is an indication of their will to no more live under a dictatorial rule or isolated from rest of the world. The crowds have gathered across the country, sometimes including tens of thousands of protestors demanding the coup to be reversed which ended the decade long transition of the country to democracy.

At least 38 people have been killed as a result of clashes between the security forces and the demonstrators, which marks the highest death rate since the protests began. Despite the crackdown mounted on demonstrations, the number of protestors coming out on streets against the coup remains high. The security forces, including police have been using tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds to disband the protestors. As a part of crackdown on the protest, the police has arrested hundreds of protestors and journalists. According to some reports nearly 1,500 people have been arrested by the police since the beginning of the protests. Members of media have been arrested on the charges of violating the public law and order. Another incident of police brutality was disclosed when a video shot by security camera showed local police brutally thwacking the crew of an ambulance after they were arrested. Security forces in Myanmar are singling out medical workers and subjecting them to physical abuse because people from medical profession were the ones who launched the movement of civil obedience in the country as a resistance against the junta.

Due to the grave human rights violations, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and European Union are considering to impose sanctions on Myanmar. On such reports, a military representative of Myanmar responded, “We are used to sanctions and we survived.” On being warned about isolation, the same military representative responded, “We have to learn to walk with only few friends.” The White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki said that “the killings represent an escalation of the ongoing crackdown on pro-Democracy protesters.” He further added that the Biden administration is preparing to impose cost on those who are responsible for the outbreak of violence in Myanmar, which is likely to intensify in the coming days. Ten members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which include Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam had virtual talks with the representatives of military to discuss the situation and suggested that all parties in Myanmar must refrain from instigating further violence.

The military on the other hand has been justifying its illegal take over with the claims of voter’s fraud in the general elections of November 2020 which resulted in the return of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) to power. The election commission office of Myanmar rejects such claims and has called the elections free and fair. The protestors are calling on the international community for help by imposing sanctions and an arms embargo. Earlier such calls to international community resulted in a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya’s in 2017.

Doha Peace Talks

Zalmay Khalilzad the US special envoy to Afghanistan had a discussion yesterday with senior Afghan official in Kabul over ways to accelerate the peace process discussion took place before heading to Qatar, where negotiations with Taliban representatives are going on. US-brokered peace talks between the Afghan government and the militant group began in September but progress has slowed down and violence has risen, while there is also uncertainty over whether international forces will pull out troops by May as originally planned or it will face further delay.

The U.S State Department said that Khalilzad and his team were visiting Kabul and Qatar. It said the US diplomats would also visit other regional capitals as part of a mission aimed at working towards “a just and durable political settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire”. The U.S had no choice other than political solution, she had tried each and every way to counter militants and unfortunately the U.S had failed to do so.

Khalilzad discussed the peace process with Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, and he was also expected to meet other Afghan officials to process the peace talks that is beneficiary not only for the region but also for the U.S and for the better future of Afghanistan. “Development of the peace process, accelerating the process and the assessment of the Doha peace agreement by the US new administration were the main topics of discussion”.

Now everything is in the hands of President Joe Biden’s administration conducting a review of a February 2020 deal struck between the Trump administration and the Taliban to determine whether to stick by a deadline to withdraw the remaining 2,500 US troops from Afghanistan, and end America’s longest war.

US and European officials have said the Taliban have not fulfilled commitments they made in an accord reached with the United States in Doha a year ago, that set up the move towards peace talks involving the Afghan government. The Taliban have largely denied responsibility for a rash of attacks in Afghanistan since beginning talks with the government in September.

But there has been a spike in violence during the past few months including targeted killings of officials, activists and journalists blamed by the Afghan government and the US on the Taliban. Both Taliban and government leaders have said that these talks are a “unique historic opportunity” for Afghans to solve their differences.

Afghanistan: Recent Killings

Afghanistan is witnessing a sharp surge in killings since the peace talks and negotiations have started between Afghan government and Taliban. In 2020, Afghanistan has witnessed about 8,820 causalities in total. Most of the killings were carried out during the last three months of 2020, since the peace talks and negotiations began. As per the UN mission to Afghanistan’s (UNAMA) annual report, the number is 15 % less than the causalities that took place in the 2019.  The head of UNAMA, Deborah Lyons, said that “last year could have been the year of peace in Afghanistan. Instead, thousands of Afghan civilians perished”. She further added that the Taliban and the U.S. must recognize the importance of a ceasefire, as soon as possible, to dodge the distressing and devastating consequences which can lead to a high magnitude of tensions and rigidities.

On March 4^th 2021, the coordinated attacks were carried out against four women as they made their way home from work in Jalalabad. The attacks were carried out separately. Three of the women were shot dead while one got critically injured. Three of the women that were shot dead had recently finished high school and aged between 18 to 20 years. The women worked as dubbing artists at the privately-owned Enikas TV station in Jalalabad. The women were identified as MursalWahidi, Sadia Sadat and Shahnaz. All three women were killed in separate attacks but in one night as they were coming back after finishing their work.MursalWahidi was shot dead at point-blank range and passed away instantly, while the other two women became victims of open-fire. They dubbed popular and often melodramatic dramas from Turkey and India into Afghanistan’s local languages of Dari and Pashtu. It has been reported that in December 2020, another female worker at the Enikas TV station in Jalalabad, Malala Maiwand, was shot dead in similar conditions. This has spread fear among people working for TV channels. Doorandish, a journalist who often covers corruption, violence, and human rights violations, was hit by a roadside bomb attack in May 2020. He survived the attack but lost two of his colleagues. He says that after the attack he is always scared to step out of the house.

Taliban are considered behind the attacks but Islamic State militants have said they shot dead three women who worked for a radio and TV station in eastern Afghanistan. Authorities have claimed that they have arrested the main suspect called Qari Baser for carrying out the shootings, insisting that he is a member of the Taliban, and said they are looking for accomplices. It has not been revealed that how one person carried out two separate shootings in one night at the same time.

Artificial Intelligence vs National Security

Artificial Intelligence, or commonly known as AI, is a briskly emerging field of technology. The rapid growth of AI has substantial implications on national security. The potential international competitors include the USA, China, and Russia. Artificial intelligence is highly used in developing applications to cater to a range of military functions. Artificial intelligence has gained its place in the world of research on the grounds of intelligence collection and analysis, logistics, cyber operations, information operations, command and control, and in a variety of semiautonomous and autonomous vehicles. China is the most leading competitor against the USA in developing AI and aims to capture the worldwide leader in artificial intelligence by 2030. China is primarily focused on using AI to make fast and well-informed decisions along with developing various autonomous military vehicles. Russia is more invested in using AI in the field of robotics. AI can acquaint the world with various challenges along with many advantages militarily. AI is capable of carrying out and facilitating autonomous military and combat operations which can introduce a unique form of influence, unpredictability, vulnerability, and manipulation. AI is also expected to bring social transformations of an extraordinary scale. AI’s capabilities may affect, directly or indirectly, the preconditions for peace, nature of conflicts, and insecurities that are often perceived by people and States.

Global Climate Change:

In a comprehensive report released by the “National Security, Military and Intelligence Panel (NSMIP)” of the Center for Climate and Security, experts warn of High-to-Catastrophic threats to security from plausible climate change trajectories – the avoidance of which will require “quickly reducing and phasing out global greenhouse gas emissions.” A near-term scenario of climate change, in which the world warms 1-2°C/1.8-3.6°F over pre-industrial levels by mid-century, would pose High to Very High-security threats. To alleviate the threats posed by global climate change scenarios, a quick reduction of net-zero global greenhouse gas emissions is required. To avoid future disasters and calamities, resilient and climate-proof infrastructure is needed. A warm climate will encourage wildfires and prolonged summers which will have a direct effect on people’s day-to-day life and economic activities. The developed and rapidly emerging countries are likely to suffer less because of their greater coping capacity in comparison to poorer States. The economic activities of poorer States will likely experience setbacks leading to political disruptions.

Indian Homegrown Covid-19 Vaccination Shots:

India gave the nod for emergency use of two vaccines, one developed by Oxford University and UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca, and another by Indian company Bharat Biotech. It is the world’s largest vaccination campaign, as part of efforts by the populous nation to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control starting with two locally manufactured shots in the 1st phase more than 300 million people will be vaccinated. Doctors, nurses, and old citizens will receive vaccines firstly. Recently on 4th January, Indian authorities sent 16.5 million vaccines to different parts of the country. Over a 35million doses of various Covid-19 vaccines have been administered around the world and the majority of the COVID-19 vaccines have been snapped by the wealthy states so India is totally dependent on its homegrown vaccine. Ministry of Health claims that Vaccine is safe and no-after effects have been recorded, but according to few news channels some people are allergic to the vaccine. Indian doctors are demanding Oxford-AstraZeneca “Covishield” vaccine to be supplied instead of Covaxin. The residents are dependent on Covishield and demanding to complete the Covaxin trail before injecting it. Around 69% of Indians are in no hurry to get vaccinated, they are waiting for the result on those who got the vaccine shots. People are hoping that homegrown vaccine will help to counter COVID-19 and save lives as India has the world’s second-largest known caseload with more than 10.5m coronavirus infections and over 152,000 deaths so far. Covaxin could be the game-changer for India if the results are satisfying.

Indian Farmers Upset on New Agricultural Reforms:

Thousands of Indian farmers filled the streets of Haryana, governed by BJP, and started marching towards New Delhi on November 26^th against contemporary agricultural reforms. The protests have been going on since September in Haryana but Indian police force used tear gas, water cannons and barricades to disband the protesters when they tried entering New Delhi in buses and tractors. As per recent agricultural reforms, farmers are now allowed to sell their finished or raw products to anyone at any desired price. The prices will not be fixed by the government under the control of the State. According to BJP the reforms will transform the agriculture sector and will empower millions of farmers by attracting much needed investments. The reforms are said to have an aim of modernizing Indian agricultural sector and to fuel growth. BJP did not take farmers on board because drafting and announcing the reforms, hence the protests broke out. The reforms are anti-farmer because they will leave farmers at the mercy of big corporate houses and private investors.

Pro-Western Victory in Moldova:

Russia has been trying to keep Moldova in its sphere to have more influence if any security crises or political disorder unravels. Recent presidential elections in Moldova have shaken the idea of Russian regional supremacy. Maia Sandu, a former prime minister and an ex-World Bank economist and Pro-Western, had a sweeping victory in presidential elections against Igor Dondon, a Pro-Russian. Moldova has joined Belarus and Kyrgyzstan and has discredited the leaders that are backed by Moscow. Dondon is claimed to have kept a carefree attitude towards controlling the deadly outbreak of COVID-19 in Moldova. Dondon is also accused of practicing corrupt politics which is why the people of Moldova tilted towards Sandu. Sandu will have to fight a battle against ill and corrupt practices in Moldovan politics along with finding common grounds with both Russia, as she did not criticize Russia at any point during her presidential campaign, and the west.

Ethiopia: Steps Away From “Full-Scale” Humanitarian Crisis

Nearly thirty years later, after putting an end to a 17 year long civil war, Ethiopia is steps away from entering into another catastrophic conflict that has the propensity to extirpate the progress of the past three decades. The conflict has already turned Ethiopians against the Ethiopians and can result in a full-fledged civil war if the differences between the government and Tigrayan are not resolved. There’s a possibility that if the fighting between the government, led by the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and the Tigrayan nationalists continue, it would have far reaching implications, extending the arc of conflict to the fragile Horn of Africa, mount tensions in Eastern Mediterranean, East Africa and Middle East. The region can have strong repercussions as countries like Somalia and Eritrea are already entangled in conflicts. The prolonged hostilities can spoil the hopes of a two year peace agreement with the neighboring country Eritrea. A country of 11 million people could destabilize due to the differences between the federal government and the nationalists, instigating a humanitarian crisis and aggravating the already existing ethnic divisions. The people of Ethiopia are facing grave challenges due to the fighting because if the confrontation continues a famine likely haunts the nation and many have already started migrating to the neighboring country. The neighboring countries can experience a huge influx of refugees from Ethiopia, posing new challenges to their frail economy and stability. The region can become more volatile due to the tensions between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, latter has failed to find common grounds on the yearlong dispute of the controversial dam that Ethiopia has been building on the Blue Nile River. Since the country has mobilized armed forces against their own people, danger of protracted lethal conflict is augmenting. Tigray’s and the Eritrean leader Isaias Afwerki, who has strong affiliation with the Tigrayan nationalists can exploit the conflict for their regional ambitions and draw countries with them who are trying to compete for gaining influence in the Horn of Africa.

Palestine to Restore Coordination with Israel

Palestine is facing devastating effects economically, after announcing to boycott Israel six months ago. In the recent days, the Palestinian Authority planned to restore relations with Israel where would be given the opportunity to discuss important matters such as financial, health and political issues. Restoration of the relations is important for peace and development reasons, but more than that due to the pandemic, Palestinian economy has been hit hard. If the relations are reestablished, Palestine will receive $890 million tax transfer money from Israel For long term effects, the leadership on both sides must remain committed to their objectives. On the other hand, if Israel does not give up its annexation ambitions, reaching a peaceful agreement on the “two state solution” would be unworkable. Coordination is crucial for both countries in the time of coronavirus because there are thousands of Israeli settlers in the West Bank and tens of thousands of Palestinians commute daily to Israel for work purposes. Only with coordination the governments will be able to spread the virus. The lives of Palestinians and Israeli citizens are interconnected, therefore, fighting against the deadly Coronavirus alone will be impossible. Restoring relations with Israel, will also pave way for recommencing contact between the new Biden Administrations and the Palestinians. Due to recent geopolitical shift in the region, which was a result of normalization of relations between Israel and other Arab countries, it is paramount for Palestinian Authority to resume relations with Israel.

Nigeria: Protests against police violence in Lagos

What initiated as peaceful youth-led protests in Lagos, Nigeria’s financial center, against police violence have now turned brutally violent. Protests started on October 7, 2020 when tens of thousands of people turned up in streets across Nigeria and demanded to dissolve one of the Nigerian police units called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). SARS is extensively accused of extra-judicial killings, blackmail and torture. In response to protests SARS was disbanded on October 11^th and was immediately taken over by Special Weapons and Tactics Team. Authorities have asked all personnel to report to the police headquarters in Abuja for debriefing, medical and psychological assessment. Despite the disbandment protests continued and soon government authorities started using extensive force against the protesters using water cannon, tear gas and live ammunition in Lekki district. As per eye witnesses more than 20 armed soldiers arrived at the toll gate in Lekki and opened fire, which killed at least 10 protestors, and were seen to remove the bodies from the scene. It has been reported that as protestors stormed in police facilities, 2000 inmates from two prisons have escaped in Benin City in southern Nigeria. A live video of protestors removing bullets and crying for help was streamed live on Instagram by DJ Switch. The videos of excessive use of force and death of protestors due to live ammunition in Lagos have caught the attention of Amnesty International and the organization will be investigating the killings. In response to protests and unrest, Lagos, a home to 21 million people, has been put under an indefinite 24 hour curfew and police chief has ordered the deployment of anti-riot forces to handle the increased attacks on police facilities.

United States Elections: Domestic and Foreign Policy Implications

Joe Biden has become the 46th President of the United States of America. People who have voted in favor of Biden are clear about their domestic and foreign policy views. Most of the people support the involvement of the US in other countries but worried about the other counties taking advantage of the US.

It is clear that Biden will hold the white house and as like any other American President his top priority will be “America First” only the characteristics and approaches will be different with the same motive. Joe Biden will be backing international re-engagement, but his voters still clearly want him to prioritize domestic issues, but it is still to witness if he will continue the Trump’s isolationist and protectionist policies. The best guide to any President foreign policy is to understand his psychology and disposition, not to study his management formal policy documents and actions. Ex- president Donald Trump’s administration picked fights with the country’s long-standing allies and friends and walked away from multiple agreements, international scientific and environmental agreements, and organizations that include, the 2015 Paris climate accord, the Iran nuclear deal, the United Nations’ science and education agency UNESCO, and in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO). It is expected of President Joe Biden that he will change the situation of the US and unite the Americans again by removing the superiority of Black and White restore trust in truth, in evidence, in science, and in other institutions of democracy, and begin the urgent task of rebuilding the United States reputation in the world by making favorable relation with different countries.

Israel: Peace agreements with Muslim Countries

To normalize the diplomatic relations, the government of the State of Israel and the government of United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement titled “Abraham Accord.” Within the region, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt have overtly welcomed the Abraham Accord and USA has been an active player in designing and reaching peace deals.

Saudi Arabia has remained silent, whereas States including Iran, Turkey and Qatar have opposed the accord. Recently, Sudan has reached an agreement with Israeli government as well. The growing and coagulating coalition between Israel and Muslim States have been precluded by Palestinian leaders. Palestinians have been calling it a betrayal but these accords can be utilized in resolving a long-standing issue between Israel and Palestine. If analyzed closely, UAE claims to have helped Palestine in halting the annexation and on the other side the accord has great economic implications for UAE and Israel. Israel’s trade with Jordan and Egypt never grew but with UAE the case will be dissimilar. While Israel will have access to a confederation of whopping seven emirates, UAE will have access to USA’s weaponry including F-35 combat planes. These accords with Muslim States will not only encourage the acceptance of Israel’s existence but also to regularize the diplomatic ties.

Iran Nuclear Agreement with USA: Current Status

Since U.S ex-president Donald Trump unanimously pulled United States of America out of the Iran nuclear deal, The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2018, other signatories including Germany, France, United Kingdom, China and Russia have been trying to recoup the agreement to restraint Iran’s capability to resuscitate a nuclear weapon program.

Despite the deal being pulled out, Iran has kept the verboten uranium enrichment activity going while keeping the doors for the deal reversal open. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action provided Iran with some relief in economic sanctions. As the ex-president Trump’s administration ended the deal, it pushed Iran into unfathomable multi-year inertia, devalued its currency by 60% in May 2020, swollen inflation and discouraged foreign investors to invest in Iran causing a loss of multibillion dollars in revenue, exclusively from oil export. This economic compression is already causing the Iranian regime to decide between its survivals, or continuing nuclear ambitions. Iran has collapsed from 3.7% growth in the deal’s second year to a negative growth of 7.6% in 2019. Now that Joe Biden has won the U.S. elections, there is a possibility that he will prefer not to get enmeshed in solving Middle East issues and might stay flexible towards Iran. Upon being given no relief, Iranian regime can be driven to a decision where the Iranian government can be forced to commit to end nuclear ambitions. Terrorism, human rights violation and foreign aggression.

French President Sponsors Islamophobia

Muslims all over the world are outraged by the statements made by French president, Emmanuel Macron earlier this October. The statements came after a French teacher, Samuel Paty was beheaded in the broad day light near his school on October 16. The teacher was killed after he had displayed the caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to his students.

These caricatures were shown to the students in a class of freedom of expression and were previously published in a French satirical magazine. The French officials have associated the killing to Islam and Muslims were accused for igniting separatism and hatred. Since the news has spread to the Muslims countries, social media is crammed with criticism on Macron. Muslims are showing their reaction on social media by trending the hashtag #BoycottFrenchProdcuts. These hashtags were so common in Arab countries, that the local trade associations have declared to boycott the products that are French made. The French President, who is a critique of Islam has been a facing severe counterattack from the Muslim world. Tayyib Erdogan, Turkish president questioned the mental stability of his counterpart. Other countries that have strongly condemned the French president’s remarks include Pakistan, Jordan, Iran, Libya, Kuwait, Egypt, and Qatar. As a national leader there can be several reasons for issuing statements deliberately that are clearly anti-Muslim and can result into strong reactions from the targeted community. One motive for such statements can be that the French president wants to move towards stricter immigration policies, which also suggests the intensifying French nationalism. France is a country where the world’s third largest Jewish population lives, who have also faced anti-Semitism from the French people. Many Jews have migrated to Israel but those that still reside in France report facing anti-Semitism regularly. These exclusionary policies and statements do not only give birth to robust nationalism but are a way to marginalize the minority group in the country. The promotion of abhorrence for a certain community, on the basis of their beliefs and religion can be precarious for the peace of a society since it can endorse radicalization. The statements given by the French president are likely to foster islamophia amongst the non-Muslim French population.

Lebanon and Israel Talk over Maritime Dispute

In recent months, Lebanon will become the third Arab country to initiate talks with Israel. The representatives of each side will hold public talks, negotiating an agreement over a maritime border claimed by both states.

Although Lebanon and Israel are longstanding foes, with cooperation and mediation of the United States, the countries took a first major step towards mutual benefit. The talks to negotiate and resolve the maritime dispute is mediated for years by the United States, which has also been successful in brokering a deal for two Gulf States with Israel. The conflict over the sea border had hampered the exploration of oil and gas reserves neighboring the disputed line. Due to good economic condition and technological advancement, Israel for years has been pumping large volumes of gas from the offshore fields. On the other hand, Lebanon has been facing a serious economic crisis since its civil war (1975-1990), and is now looking for foreign investors and donors to help explore and utilize energy resources from its own waters. With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, financial meltdown compounded. The situation further deteriorated with the explosion that caused a havoc of Beirut, killing approximately 200 people. The round of negotiation talks between Lebanon and Israel are hosted by the United Nations, which has also been monitoring the land boundary since the withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon in 2000. The talks will focus on discussing the 330- square mile patch of the Mediterranean Sea that has rich reserves of natural gas. This is the area that both states claim, thus making it a disputed territory. If both adversaries are able to resolve the dispute, it will have a momentous effect on the two states, as well for the peace of the overall region. Furthermore, this deal would be significant for the battered Lebanese economy. This would strengthen the energy alliance of Eastern Mediterranean, backed by the US. However, the talks will not be similar to the one that Israel held with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Israeli Energy Minister had said, “This isn’t a negotiation for peace and normalization.” Thus, the talks will not likely blossom into an agreement of normalization of relationships. In the future, the negotiating teams will be discussing only the disputed territory between the economic zones of both states, not peace. Nevertheless, even an economic agreement would mean that both states would not be losing billions of dollars each year anymore.

USA-Afghanistan: Intensified violence in response to Peace Talks

The United States signed an agreement this year with the Taliban pledging to extract all American forces from Afghanistan. The agreement revolves around the condition posed by the USA that the Taliban should provide reassurance regarding Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups that they will not use Afghan territory to carry out any terror attacks or activities.

Jettisoning Al-Qaeda and ousting the Taliban regime, which has been providing safe haven to Al-Qaeda, in Afghanistan were the basis of USA’s invasion in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda and Taliban are still closely joint and still carry out military and training actions, agreement has not altered that. Over the years, Al Qaeda’s capability and strength has weakened in carrying out terror activities against the West but Al Qaeda’s resilience cannot be ignored because they killed Husam Abd al-Rauf, a high ranking Egyptian al-Qaeda member, in an operation in Ghazni province just last week. Taliban have averred that they will honor the agreement with the USA and prevent insurgents from carrying out terror activities. The maiden issues of ceasefire and power-sharing agreement have still not been deliberated to reach some conclusion. The Afghan peace process has already been delayed and losing its impetus because violence in Afghanistan has intensified in recent weeks. If the American forces are withdrawn before reaching any compact agreement, there is a possibility that violence will intensify even more. It can even encourage extremist groups to sharpen their nails and they can transform into an international terror threat again.

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is now one of the fastest growing areas of bio-sciences. Huge sums have been spent by the Planning Commission of Pakistan for developing infrastructure, capacity building and HRD for undertaking R&D in biotechnology especially related to agriculture and health in various universities and R&D institutes. Presently, there are around 30 centers of Biotechnology spread all over the country. However, nearly all the Biotech Centers are in the public sector; only a few institutions could offer some deliverable products. Much of these achievements are in the area of agricultural biotechnology such as tissue culture technology and its commercialization (virus free potato and banana, exotic orchards, cut flowers, bio-fertilizers etc.). Significant among these are the development of cotton being one of the most important cash crops for Pakistan. This crop consumes nearly 80% of the pesticide. Therefore pest resistance is one of the most desirable traits in cotton. In 2010 some varieties of Bi-Cotton were released for commercial cultivation. Some of these varieties were developed by private sector seed companies. Furthermore, efforts continue on R&D for developing and maintaining Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) resistant cotton varieties. However, work on several approaches involving other crops, vegetables and fruits are underway. In the area of health most efforts focused on estimation of prevalence, their somatic and genetic nature and type of mutations besides diagnostics of some human diseases. Success has also been achieved in addressing biotechnology application for fossil fuel alternates and several selected useful enzymes.

Biodiversity

Pakistan’s latitudinal spread and altitudinal variation provide diverse ecology and splendid biodiversity to the country with human livelihoods directly dependent on ecosystem diversity and function. The diversified habitats and landscapes support a rich variety of different species which contribute to the overall biodiversity of the country. Economically, the services provided by biodiversity cannot be replicated at scale by human technology therefore; it is the most valuable and most necessary natural resource for Pakistan providing means of livelihood especially to rural dwellers. However, rapid human population growth, un-judicious land use and increased poverty has forced especially the rural people to exploit biodiversity at unsustainable rates resulting into deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, salinity and water logging to the remaining biodiversity of the country mainly due to overexploitation and loss of natural habitats of diverse natural flora and fauna. This continued loss of biodiversity will have serious implications for the nation’s natural and agricultural ecosystems threatening food, health and survival security of the country.

Poultry

Poultry sector is one of the most vibrant and performing sub-sector of the livestock industry in the country. The current investment in Poultry Industry is more than Rs. 700 billion. This industry is progressing at an impressive growth rate of 8 percent per annum over the last few years. Pakistan has become the 11th largest poultry producer in the world with the production of 1,163 million broilers birds annually. This sector provides employment (direct/indirect) to over 1.5 million people. Poultry today has been a balancing force to keep a check on the prices of mutton and beef. Poultry meat contributes 35 percent (1,657 thousand tons) of the total meat production (4,708 thousand tons) in the country. Poultry meat production showed a growth rate of 9.1 percent whereas egg production showed a growth of 5.6 percent to 20.0 billion Nos. during 2019-20 as compared to previous year. The transformation of poultry production in the controlled shed system is making a tremendous difference of quantity and quality of poultry production. There are now over 6,500 controlled environment poultry sheds in the country which indicates that the poultry sector is moving in the direction of modernization and using advanced technology. Currently poultry products especially its fresh meat and eggs are being sold at a higher price (poultry meat Rs. 300-350 per kg), whereas eggs are being offered in the market at Rs. 150-200 per dozen. These prices are higher than average during the current and the previous year.

Chemical Industry of Pakistan

In Pakistan, almost every economic sector has faced considerable impact due to the low supply and demand. The situation further exacerbated with the countrywide lockdown and the bar on international imports and exports. The chemical sector was severely affected with the outbreak of COVID-19. Two of the largest chemical industries-Lotte Chemical and Engro Polymer and Chemical- revised their expected earnings of the year 2020. The chemical industries are facing lower sale volume as the demand of their products has significantly curtailed. In early 2020, the Engro Polymer and Chemical Limited reported a drop-in profit for the year 2019 from Rs 3.7 billion to Rs 4.9 billion recorded the previous year. The financial analysts have predicted that the yearly income of the chemical companies can remain unchanged in the year 2021, as the growth will be at a slower pace due to the world-wide economic crisis. The chemical industry faces challenges in importing raw material from the foreign countries required to produce their products. The manufacturing of the chemicals has thus slowed down, and it has an adverse impact on the other economic sectors that are relying on supply from the chemical industry, for instance the textile industry. Since 2018, Pakistan’s chemical sector has been importing 31% organic chemicals and 28% miscellaneous chemical products from the neighboring states. Pakistan Chemicals and Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) Chairman Amin Yousaf Balagamwala said that the commercial importers are facing acute financial crisis because a lockdown has been imposed, therefore not the supply and demand decreased but the factories in many areas have closed down. This economic sector will not be able to recover immediately, even after the normalization of the economic situation throughout the world, because the whole supply chain has been distorted. The traders and commercial importers seek help from the government because their businesses are at the very verge of collapse. If the situation continues, there will be eventually cash flow problems, affecting the other economic sectors. Recently PCDMA has also suggested the government to set up a separate chemical ministry for development of the chemical industry, as it would not only add value to other industrial sectors but reduce the dependency of importing raw products from the neighboring countries and Middle East. This would allow the government to save huge sums of money by setting up import substitute industries within the country. Relying on imports of raw material puts burden on the foreign exchange of the country. The chemical industry sector has not been given adequate attention to develop and diversify over the time. Therefore, its production and revenue have remained stagnant for a decade.

Pakistan’s Cotton Quandary

For the past few years, the economic experts were predicting the low quality of cotton yield in Pakistan, which was likely to affect the textile industry. The contamination rate of crops in Pakistan is seven times higher than the international standards. The major reason that Pakistan is yielding low quality of cotton crop, that is eventually affecting the textile production, are the outdated and unproductive picking methods. The old methods of cotton picking are dangerous because human picking and storage of cotton in fertilizer bags further exacerbates the contamination issue. This later results in production of low-quality cotton and mixing of plastic fibers with the cotton. Another reason why Pakistan’s cotton industry has shown a very sluggish progress is almost insignificant research in the department of enhancing the seed quality. The other economies of the world have made momentous research on genetically modified seeds that enables them to improve the cotton output quality. Although few farmers in Pakistan have tried to use the genetically modified seeds for cotton, called Bi generation, the usage has been counter-productive. The primary reason for this failure is the lack of applicative study which has averted the farmers from reaping the benefits of these seeds. The textile industry of Pakistan is heavily dependent on the input of cotton. From the last decade, Pakistan has gradually moved away from a self-sufficient cotton industry to having a highly import oriented cotton industry. Cotton industry has a great significance for the economy of Pakistan, but it requires due attention from the authorities, as the entire textile value chain is suffering due to low quantity and quality of the cotton. Reforms are necessary in this regard if the country needs to ensure a sustaining textile trade. The inefficiencies on the part of authorities are costing the country billions of dollars, which is an unfeasible situation for the country’s economic progress. Cotton is a sector that for years has single-handedly supported the exports of the country. Prioritizing it has become critical, especially for the post-pandemic economic situation, as in the near future the global textile is to become more competitive. Producers from countries like India, Bangladesh and Vietnam are expected to engage in a tough competition and will attempt to dominate the monopoly of cotton and textile trade in the international market. There is also an urgent need to standardize the seed industry of the country. The lack in this area has wreaked havoc on the cotton producers due to the decreasing demand of the cotton from local and international cotton traders. Cotton is a main input for the country’s export sector and therefore, if proper attention is given and measures are taken, it can contribute to the overall GDP of Pakistan.

Textile Industry

A country is totally dependent on its economy, and economic growth is dependent on its Industrial Condition. The industry act as an engine for any economy. Pakistan is one of the largest contributors of jute to the world, but to the country’s misery, it does not possess a single jute mill. Even today, the sector is heavily dependent upon textile, with other key industries of agro and chemical-based. Textile industry the single largest export earning sector of Pakistan and has scaled up productions in the pandemic of Covid-19 with the level of full-capacity, as a significant improvement in the pandemic the country led the world buyers to partially divert their orders to domestic manufacturers as the imports were canceled or delayed by other countries.

Now the Government of Pakistan introduced Textile policy 2020-2025 providing subsidies for the industrial sector, especially for textiles. The policy includes:

• Special duty-drawback rates
• Rationalization of duty on the textile value chain
• Subsidy on long-term loans and development subsidies
• Electricity and gas tariff will be fixed for the next five years till 2025

Pakistan’s share is 1.6 percent in the global textile trade targeted for 3 percent over the next five years. Pakistan textile industry is now focusing on Man-Made Fiber (MMF) that is less costly & can be produced more. Globally the use of Man-made and synthetic fibers against natural fibers has shifted to a ratio of 70:30 the synthetic fibers having the main share. At present, Pakistan’s consumption ratio of MMF to cotton is 30:70 and now with the support of the Government of Pakistan, this ratio will be increased to 50:50 within the next 5 years.

Pakistan’s struggle to go green while CPEC coal power plants continue to grow

Executive Summary

China and Pakistan have a long-standing economic and political relation. Which has developed stronger with time, establishing China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to honor both countries’ economic relations with each other. This project is an important part of China’s One Belt One Road Initiative and while it may provide economic opportunities, on a broader level it is damaging local climate security (Ascensao et al., 2018).

The environment is directly aligned with CPEC as the projects have an impact on the country’s air quality, climate change, noise pollution, and waste management (Asees, A, M. and Ali, Y., 2019). However, to meet Pakistan’s energy shortages, Pakistan’s previous Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif agreed to construct coal-based power plants, neglecting the environmental cost. Pakistan’s National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) expects that the coal power projects under CPEC will increase the country’s coal-fired generation capacity to 20 percent by 2025. This particular development will hamper Pakistan’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and in procuring carbon credits.

Pakistan aims to produce 30% of its energy through renewable sources by 2030 (WWEA 2019). However, there is an immediate need to negotiate project deals with China or to introduce green energy sources to achieve the goal by 2030. Pakistan revised its Alternative and Renewable Energy policy in 2019 that aims to reduce carbon emissions by developing a sustainable, efficient, and competitive power market while promoting ARET technology and manufacturing capabilities (AEDB 2019). Despite that, it does not include CPEC coal projects that directly harm the environment which calls for effective strategies for favorable environmental sustainability (Ali et al., 2018). In order to protect Pakistan’s environment, the dependency on fossil fuels must be reduced and the Kyoto protocol must be followed.

Pakistan must develop policies to maximize the share of renewable energy sources to mitigate the carbon emissions and energy crisis rather than harness indigenous coal for power production (Solangi et al., 2019). There are multiple ways to achieve clean production of energy, even if it involves coal projects. The first step has to be the reregulation of government and federal environmental agencies and secondly by using low carbon advanced technologies that can help achieve sustainable methods of coal energy production. To curb the immediate impact of coal power plants, a comprehensive management strategy must be initiated.

Summary of the Problem

Coal-fired energy has documented negative impacts on the environment and human health. In order to tackle climate change in Pakistan, the relevant Energy and Development Ministries in the country must cooperate with Federal ministers in revising and negotiating energy policies. There is an immediate concern that the operationalization of coal power plants under CPEC shall directly have an adverse effect on Pakistan’s biodiversity, water, and air (Zhang et al.2017; Huang et al.2017). However, it is important to note that Beijing has time and again emphasized green development, but under CPEC there is a disconnect between coal power generation and green energy (Downs., E, 2019). China uses coal power plants based on sub-critical and supercritical technology but none of the plants use Ultra-supercritical technology which China itself has mastered and acquired in the 1990s from the West (Siddiqui 2018). Also, none of the coal power plants deploy Carbon Capture & Sequestration technologies, which allow CO2 to be removed during emission and be stored in the ponds or grounds (Siddiqui 2018).

Policy Recommendations & Explanation

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) coal-fired power plants, which were introduced in Pakistan to overcome energy shortages, have exacerbated environmental conditions. Consequently, the re-evaluation of environmental and production costs of current and prospective CPEC projects are crucial for Pakistan to secure a sustainable future.

The first and second recommendations highlight the significance of advanced technology (i.e. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and ultra-supercritical technology) for continued utilisation of coal-fired power plants in Pakistan. Although the estimated cost to incorporate CCS technology in existing coal-fired power plants is $53/tonne, the retrofitting of CCS reduces CO2 emissions more than 36 times (Ishaque, 2017), thus demonstrating that the environmental benefits outweigh the actual cost. However, if the cost of retrofitting CCS and importing green technologies are considered high, the government of Pakistan should press for locally produced clean technology.

Funds from international organisations like the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations can help achieve this objective (Rashid et.al, 2020). Additionally, the involvement of local industries and professionals (researchers and scientists) can encourage the development of CCS technology locally. This is effortlessly achieved through expansion programmes, proposed by the government, which recruit knowledgeable professionals to exchange ideas on efficient CCS development. With local manufacturing firms offering their assistance and services (Huenteler et. al, 2016) Pakistan’s economy will also experience positive growth.

Furthermore, the implementation of advanced technology that regulates air pollution such as Pressurised-Fluidised-Bed Combustion (PFBC) is crucial for the continued utilisation of coal-fired power plants. Current CPEC coal- fired power plants exploit outdated and inefficient technology (i.e. subcritical and supercritical) which are banned in many countries. Therefore, to safeguard healthy air quality standards in Pakistan, local government officials should engage in negotiations with China to incorporate ultra-supercritical technology – a technology that has been already mastered by China – into the existing coal-fired power plants (Siddiqui, 2018).

The third recommendation in the policy brief emphasizes the need for re-regulation of government and federal environmental agencies. For example, the alleged involvement of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) officials in irregular and corrupt practices such as issuing No Objection Certificates to industries in exchange for bribes have aggravated Pakistan’s environmental conditions (Anwar, 2015). Although the 1997 Pakistan Environmental Protection Act enforces the conduct of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), the Pak-EPA displays insufficient or poor understanding of the EIA process resulting in obscure evaluations of CPEC coal-fired power plant projects (Baloch, 2018). Therefore, it is imperative that government officials be more selective in hiring competent experts to conduct EIAs to uphold integrity and maintain the quality of these assessments, consequently improving the environment.

Additionally, there are no stipulated legal conditions for Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) to be performed for CPEC projects. SEA is a participatory and analytical approach to evaluate environmental implications in plans and policies while taking into consideration social and economic aspects. It is supposedly more efficient than EIAs as it cites recommendations that encompass environmental-related challenges. For instance, feedback and recommendations (i.e. impose carbon taxes) in the SEA from Rwanda’s energy sector have been incorporated in the country’s policies to lessen environmental issues (Seman et.al, 2015). Hence, it is appropriate to utilise the SEA in CPEC coal-fired power plant projects in Pakistan.

The final recommendation proposes that a central authority be appointed to supervise the implementation of recommendations outlined in EIAs and/or SEAs for CPEC coal-fired power plant projects. The selection committee should adhere to stringent requirements in the appointment process and include external representatives (i.e. representatives from International Governmental Organisations) to reduce bias and corruption, consequently alleviating environmental concerns in Pakistan while generating economic and social benefits.