Gilgit-Baltistan's Urban Shift: CPEC's Special Economic Zone Challenges
Abstract
OBOR (One Belt One Road) is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the world, and CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) is an important component of it. It aims to serve the economic interests of both China and Pakistan by modernizing Pakistan's road, rail, air, and energy transportation systems and linking Pakistan's deep-sea ports of Gwadar and Karachi to China's western borders. It also proposes 9 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to help the local economy integrate with the global economy and industrialize and enhance economic growth. This paper aims to explore the insights of the CPEC and its SEZs and their impacts on the economy and society of Gilgit Baltistan. It will analyze the enhancing urbanization of GB and the existing and upcoming socio-economic factors that arise due to this transformation.