The CPEC Phase 2.0 has been dubbed as crucial for Pakistan’s qualitative development, massive industrialization, green transformation, social development, and last but not least, digitalization. However, indicators of its pace, progress and productivity are not up to the mark because of many internal policy flaws, regional geopolitics and global geostrategic shifts.

As per the Theory of Strategic Culture (TSC), it seems that socio-economic and political dimensions of our values, beliefs, traditions, conducts and means of governance towards development, security, positivity and community development are creating confusions and hurdles in the expansion of the CPEC Phase 2.0, unfortunately. Key figures like Jack Snyder introduced the concept, highlighting cultural inputs—identity, values, historical memory—as crucial for understanding strategic choices. There is an urgent need to change our strategic culture of public conduct, ways of governance, bureaucratic models, economic priorities and geopolitical preferences and jointly work for the national cause. We must start thinking beyond short-term gains through good governance by promoting economic consistency, political stability, social harmony and avoiding any personalized international engagement.

The menace of political marginalization, social and ethnic discrimination and the short-term economic development model have already ruined the prospects of a progressive society and a prosperous nation, which have direct correlation with the development of CPEC Phase 2.0. It is a bitter reality that Pakistan’s appeasement-oriented strategic culture has remained a common norm in government and bureaucracy, spoiling the fates of common people and their dreams of a qualitative life for so many years. The euphoria of absolute power has created impassable impediments for smooth economic growth, justice systems, policing and regulatory mechanisms in the country. As a result, Pakistan has been declared the graveyard of development........

© Pakistan Observer