Interview: Fully Operational Gwadar Port Under Chinese Control Upsets Key Regional Players

Courtesy: The Balochistan Point

Syed Fazl-e-Haider is a development analyst and a freelance columnist based in Pakistan. Areas of his expertise include Pakistan-China economic ties, Balochistan economy and Gwadar Port. He is the author of many books including “Economic Development of Balochistan”, which has been recommended at Ph.D and post-graduate level in two universities of Balochistan in the syllabi of “Development Economics & Planning”. The Balochistan Point conducted an exclusive interview with Mr. Syed Fazl-e-Haider which is as follows:

Gwadar: the missing link

Courtesy: The News

The controversy over alterations in the route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is currently the major source of conflict between the federal government and the provinces. This conflict temporarily subsided because of the senate elections, but will resurface after the election of chairman of senate. Politicians from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are vehemently protesting against the changes in the route of the CPEC but no one has asked the people of Gwadar, who are the biggest stakeholders in this debate, what they think.

The Plight of Education in Gwadar

Courtesy: The Nation

Gwadar is one of the better known cities in Pakistan, thanks to its deep-sea port. From Pervez Musharraf to Nawaz Sharif, every ruler has talked about making Gwadar the new regional hub for sea trade. The city has also gained limelight because of the debate over the disputed route of Pak-China Economic Corridor. But behind all of this newfound glamour lies a bare, dark reality that people are rarely told about.

Pak-China economic corridor: Game-changer facing controversy

Courtesy: Pakistan Today

In a groundbreaking agreement last November, the Chinese government committed to invest over $45 billion in China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC). This corridor will connect Gwadar with Chinese city of Kashgar in the Xinjiang autonomous region, through highways, rail link and oil-gas pipelines. This project was dubbed as a “game changer” by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the region. Recently, CPEC has been in news for its proposed change in route. This proposal has made this entire project controversial from the outset.

Exclusive Interview of Siddique Baloch

Courtesy: The Balochistan Point

Siddique Baloch is the Editor-in-chief on Balochistan express and Azadi newspapers. He is a veteran journalists and the pioneer of English journalism in Balochistan. Born in 1940, Lala Siddique Baloch, as He is commonly called, has been associated with journalism since 1966. Balochistan: It’s Politics and Economics is the title of the book of Mr. Siddique Baloch that was recently launched in Quetta. The Balochistan Point sat with him and conducted an exclusive interview about his career, book and politics and Economics of Balochistan.

Gwadar – the unwanted Winter Capital

This year Balochistan government officially declared Gwadar as the winter capital of Balochistan. A civil secretariat was built in Gwadar. Chief Secretary and Chief Minister both spent some days in the secretariat. The official reason for this move is to promote Gwadar port internationally by making it provincial capital. Actually it’s just a new way of wasting money of taxpayers of Balochistan. Apart from that high ranking bureaucrats and officials can escape the cold weather of Quetta in winter and can enjoy warmth of Gwadar. For a poor and backward province such as Balochistan, Gwadar is an unwanted winter capital.

Gwadar is a coastal city of Balochistan near the border of Iran. Musharraf government built a deep sea port in Gwadar which was made operational in 2007. If successful this Port can change the fate of People of Pakistan and can be a substitute of Dubai port. For some international and internal reasons the project has not kicked off so far. Many brother gulf countries can’t allow this port to be successful as their own ports will be at loss. Internally people of Gwadar have completely been ignored. Their lands were bought from them very cheaply and despite high level of unemployment in Gwadar labour was brought in from other parts of country. This resulted in reaction of local people which did not allow the smooth operation of port. Moreover, there is also dispute on a part of Gwadar port land which is claimed by provincial government but it’s occupied by Pak Navy.