The justification that the piece of land being occupied by the navy is important for security reasons holds no water since the entire port will become strategically vital once it is operational. Pakistan’s military already has vast tracts of prime land in its possession all over the country and surely a solution can be found in this case, especially when it leads to the cancellation of international contracts. It is in everyone’s best interests that the Gwadar port becomes operational and starts creating the kind of jobs and revenues that the Baloch people have been promised.
That the new owners of the port will likely be Chinese is sure to cause further headaches for Pakistan. For our other superpower ally, the US, China’s acquisition of Gwadar will be seen as a power play that gives China leverage in the event of future conflicts in the area. Already, Chinese aid and investment in Pakistan is generating US suspicion. Handing over our new port and with that a potential new Silk Route is not going to please the Americans. India will also be suspicious. For us, however, Gwadar’s promise has been squandered to the point where, right now, it is little more than a white elephant.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2012.
COMMENTS (23)
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Observer, "China is a friend of Iran. Iran in turn are friends of Afghanhistan. Why couldn’t China use Iranian ports for access to central Asian States? This way, they wouldn’t have to worry about opposition from the Baloch." Gwader port involves Pakistan strategic intrests as well as China.From Pakistan perspective Karachi port being highly vulnerable to Indian navy a need for another port as second defence line was long required and Gawader was most suitable place to build that port.The rest, blah blah as new hub of commerce, should be forgoten.. Regards.
@huzaifa:
"@sabi: Wise guy, The Gawadr port was never built for Pakistan but it’s strategic importance is due to access to central Asian states."
China is a friend of Iran. Iran in turn are friends of Afghanhistan. Why couldn't China use Iranian ports for access to central Asian States? This way, they wouldn't have to worry about opposition from the Baloch.
@sabi: Wise guy, The Gawadr port was never built for Pakistan but it's strategic importance is due to access to central Asian states.
ET Gwader port has never been feasble for commerce because of its distance from main population That means any ship instead of harbouring at karachi,the first seaport enroute pakistan, should further travel almost six hundred kilometers for up--loading at gwader port .And from gwader port, trucks traveling another seven hundred kilometers back to main population.Not workable because of transport charges. 2 Investments in gwader means first raw material transportation to gwader and then back, involves over forteen hundred kilometers.No chance at all again extra transport charges There is no raw material around Gwader in bulk supply such as oil gas ,minerals no water for industrie.Gwader port was infact develope for china to make sure it's unintrupted oil supply from iran Since it was sensitive project to divert attentention of other powers it was projected as a new hub of commerce etc.By virtu of that compaigne some oppurtunists made their fate. Pakistan is happy with some kind of secret funds at the name of port charges and that's all for the time being. the
Simple....why give gwader to Chinese without proper bidding process, secondly, compensate the singaporean for their losses, it is not the wild west.thirdly, I apologize to a rational mind, my question to the fundamentalist is Chinese govt is atheist, how can you club yourself with a devil ? Please ponder my brothers and sisters in chinese arm....
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how American and British tabloids file a report.
@Bala real state has gone only real estate is left.
@Feroz: Keep[ dreaming....
pakistan is already soul its soul to China .. come on buck up pakistanis do something fot your self steam .. your powerful regime has overpowered your aspirations . I feel pity for Balochs :(
I wonder if PSA paid us compensation or was it the other way around ? The excuse of Navy land not being transferred appears lame and engineered to let PSA off the hook or did PSA actually pay to get out, but not to the GOP.
Finally, a great move. Only China has the capability and resources to run ports in this region.
If the country awards the Gwadar Port project to China it is the equivalent of writing a suicide note. The country is surviving financially on the largesse of Uncle Sam but wants to reward Aunt Thelma. The Yanks and Indians will not be jumping in joy and will ensure that conditions will be created that instead of enjoying the benefits of the Port, it will become an albatross strung across the neck. Diplomats knowing real politic will never support such a proposal that can put the existence of a nation state in jeopardy. This policy drafted in Rawalpindi is not likely to please Singapore either. Sucking up to China will never ever prove financially rewarding, ask those who have done business with them.
The editorial seems an American point of view, with an aim to hit Navy as well. There is no substance in the arguments. I live in China, and no nation can do faster Infrastructure development than them. However, we need to negotiate well with China, as experience tells that, here, business ethics and 'contract implementation' still need a lot of maturity.
It may be pointed out that China not only constructed the Gwadar Port but also provided 80 percent of the initial funds worth $248 million for the construction. Out of $248 million extended by China, $50million was given as grant to mark the 50-year of Pak-China friendship while $198 million was given as a soft loan. So BEGGERS ARE NOT CHOOSERS
Still, I think they have the resources (money, machinery & men) for expanding port, building roads/rail-tracks. PAKISTAN MUST NEGOTIATE WELL.
"Now, it is being rumoured that the Chinese will be given the port at no cost, to do with it as it pleases."
What a choice of words in this ET report !!!!!!!
No one can sell their Motherland so cheap. First it was parts of AJK for the bomb and now Balochistan port to save the bomb from US.
The Chinese are going to dump there lease as soon as the realise that Gawadar port with poor connecting infrastructure with the rest of country has no financial viability. Plus, the obvious security threats. The Chinese are also not likely to take on the deal if the Navy doesnt relinquish control over land that they have effectively occupied. No money, no Chinese, thats how they roll.
India will not be suspicious, as suspicion only occurs when all the facts are not available. Pakistan has given away a part of Kashmir and now part of Balochistan to China; clearly its latent nationalism is only aroused when the dispute revolves around icy wastelands of Siachen or unoccupied marshes of Sir Creek.
Why ET always bashes anything or anyone that isn't in line with American interests? Sure Singapore Port Authority knows how to get sympathies of media; bash Pakistan's armed forces. It is known to all and sundry now that Singapore Port Authority was just used as a front by the Americans to deny the Chinese the port which, ironically (for ET) was built by the same suspicion-arousing Chinese. What is the problem with our English papers? They sing songs of a country (USA) that never comes handy when Pakistan needs its help; be it 1971 or leaving Pakistan to deal with Afghan mess post USSR or Sanctions or denial of a Civilian Nuclear Deal, Energy Crises, Friends of Pakistan etc etc. While the same English papers bash the Chinese even though they never harmed Pakistan and always lent a helping hand when Pakistan needed them; be it Defense programs, Civilian Nuclear Deal, construction of Gwadar port etc etc.
Is this editorial written by some Pakistani or American? It looks an American prospective to me!!!
Your editorial is balanced and fair. However I do not agree that we have squandered the opportunity to build Gwadar or that it is now no more than a white elephant. The strategic importance of an alternate warm water port cannot be overstated. The Chinese, even though a good friend in the past, will certainly look to increase their influence viz-a-viz their own national interests. I wonder if we can interest them on the Buy Own Transfer (BOT) basis and thus get an operational port without incurring unbearable costs that we cannot afford at present. Warm water ports have always been and will remain of great importance and we must not lose any opportunity to find a replacement to Karachi. As rightly stated this would also provide much needed employment to the Baloch youth. In this case, as in many others, what is needed most is political will.