China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Gilgit-Baltistan: Regional Prospects, 2015-2020

The inauguration of the CPEC in 2015 marked a new phase in interconnectivity for China and Pakistan. Gilgit- Baltistan is significant in this context because it is situated between the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges. This strategically vital but breathtakingly beautiful area would combine the Gwadar seaport with the heartland of Xinjiang. On the other hand, the CPEC might provide them benefits at the cost of the environment and the rights of indigenous people. Gilgit-Baltistan emerged as a CPEC benefactor and a battlefield of the interplay between socio-political challenges, environmental stewardship, and economic prospects. This is powered by discourses concerning just growth, cultural identity, and regional stability. Ensuring local empowerment, ecological integrity, and the needs of the growing economy have to be kept in a delicate balance as Gilgit-Baltistan goes through modernization in its global infrastructure and geopolitical dynamics.