I analyzed how the missing infrastructure in Balochistan can be problematic for Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) railway, for @TFT_ 1/n https://www.thefridaytimes.com/missing-infrastructure-in-balochistan/

The Rohri-Quetta-Taftan track of ITI is in poor shape and there are no plans for its upgradation anytime soon. Therefore, the ambitions of mass freight transport from Pakistan to Turkey and onwards to Europe will hit a roadblock in Balochistan. 2/n

ITI represents typical behavior of successive federal govts which announce mega-projects related to Balochistan but do not develop required infrastructure. Govt has completely ignored the 100-year old railway infrastructure in Balochistan, which has completed its useful life. 3/n

#Gwadar is the center stage of CPEC yet the biggest project of this initiative ML-1 will upgrade the railway track between Karachi and Peshawar at a massive cost of $6.8 billion. There is no railway line in Gwadar and there are no plans to build one till 2030. 4/n

If federal government does not address the infrastructure gaps in Balochistan then the province can never properly develop. As a result, Balochistan can’t be helpful for the success of other mega-projects such as CPEC or the newly conceived idea of the ITI railway project. 5/n