Miscreant elements in Gwadar are once again in lime light to sabotage China’s multibillion dollar ($62 billion) project CPEC which is a large-scale initiative to build energy, highway, and port infrastructure to boost the economy of Pakistan. The protest demonstrations are being led by Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, a local leader of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).
The protestors in the garb of their two basic demands access to clean water and an end to “trawler mafia” are maliciously maligning CPEC project per a heinous hidden agenda of the anti-state elements though China and CPEC has nothing to do with the failure of provincial government and local administration’s incompetency to remove the grievances and to deliver the basic necessities of life to the inhabitants of the district Gwadar. For the economic corridor to reach its potential, however, there are security and political challenges deliberately being posed in Pakistan that must be addressed. The main questions that arise from the continuous demonstrations are twofold. Who is causing the unrest? And who will benefit?
Baluchistan is a very vulnerable and under developed province of Pakistan being kept deprived and marginalized by the different incompetent political & civilian governments of Pakistan to exploit its resources and to deliver nothing in return which as a result has enhanced the frustration of the local people but no concrete, viable, political and serious initiative has ever been taken by the different political governments of Pakistan to eliminate poverty, deprivation and the lingering crisis over there.
With Pakistan’s Gwadar port in Balochistan, the largest and most impoverished province of Pakistan. Balochistan has been under attack by separatists, insurgents, and religious militants. For a successful CPEC and a peaceful South Asian region, Balochistan’s importance has grown beyond all estimates. It is in the best interest of all stakeholders, especially Pakistan the host state, to sensibly deal with the prevailing circumstances in Balochistan.
China is reinvigorating Pakistan’s economy through investment in energy, infrastructure projects as well as the construction of oil and gas pipelines via CPEC. The logic behind this source of potential synergy strategy is to fundamentally improve Pakistan’s economy to help alleviate the challenges posed by political extremists, radicals, and militants. Security and stability in Pakistan will make it possible for China to deliver greater benefits of CPEC to Pakistan’s masses. In February 2013, Pakistan granted the operational contract of Gwadar port to China amid western and American pressure. China under CPEC has to build a 2,000 km of road and rail infrastructure worth $10.63 billion in Pakistan, stretching from Gwadar to eventually connect with Kasghar. Moreover, a network of gas pipelines will be set up to finally connect Pakistan with Iran. Initially it was envisioned as a peace pipeline among Iran, Pakistan, and India but now Iran has replaced India due to New Delhi’s malicious agenda. India strongly opposes CPEC route and development at Gwadar port, thus we see a trend in surge of terrorism and rise in violence as an effective tool to scare the Beijing to halt CPEC development projects in Baluchistan and Gwadar. India and other foes of CPEC are fomenting attacks with just that one goal in mind to halt the CPEC developmental projects in Pakistan.
Baloch separatists used to receive terrorist training in camps in Afghanistan established by India. Pakistan law enforcement agencies arrested Indian notorious RAW spy, Kulbushan Yadav, a former Indian naval officer assigned to sabotage CPEC, especially Gwadar port. India is bent on sabotaging CPEC by funding and training anti-state elements in Balochistan. India keeps expressing concern over CPEC and a potential Chinese naval base in Gwadar to resist Chinese maritime hegemony in the Indian Ocean. The port will also open gateways for China to destinations where the United States is already present or intends to maintain its hegemony, including Central Asia and the Gulf States. The United States, as a stabilizer of the balance of power in South Asia, has backed India as a potential competitor with China. The rivalry visibly surfaced when U.S.-backed India failed in its bid to be included in the Nuclear Suppliers Group over Chinese opposition. Gwadar is the key transit port and a city of trade of the future. China is on the rise and to the amazement of geopolitical analysts and researchers, it has adopted the status through a model of mutual growth and win-win strategy. Many western countries are now reliant on China for their economic security and stability & China’s concept of shared prosperity and avoid the US for its hegemonic orientation. Beijing has ushered in a new era in global supremacy. It has adopted a model of regional and international growth. The USA has initiated a hostile agenda against China. South China Sea Dispute, Taiwan and creating controversy in Hong Kong via non-state actors are a few of the examples that have been created to halt China to emerge as the new super power of the world . China has developed a cohesive approach for the better world.
Since CPEC is necessary for the prosperity and development of Pakistan, these projects’ construction sites and engineering personnel become targets for religious and nationalist extremists backed by Indian and foreign agencies. Indeed, there already have been numerous occasions when Chinese engineers working in Pakistan have been attacked or even lost their lives.
The corridor aims to enhance the well-being of common people throughout Pakistan especially of Baluchistan and bring long-term prosperity and stability conditional with the smooth completion of CPEC different projects in the country. CPEC passes through the region it represents, allowing its local community to enjoy the corridor’s benefits like the immense facilities of viable agriculture products, employment, airports, expressway road, coal power station, hospitals, schools, colleges , universities, basic roads & transport infrastructure and industries etc.
Coastal city of Gwadar, once a sleepy fishing town is rapidly turning into a vibrant trade hub, complete with a seaport, airport, major road connections and a trade zone being constructed with China’s USD 700 million investment. Gwadar Cricket Stadium, has already been inaugurated in 2020. The stadium is about 66 meters (217 ft) in diameter and is the world’s most beautiful stadium and is built to create recreational activities for the locals. Pak-China Tactical Vocational institute in Gwadar was inaugurated in October 2021 to impart the best kind of technical education and skills to the youth of Baluchistan including Gwadar. Under this program free accommodation and scholarships would also be given to the students of the Pak-China Institute. Tactical Vocational institute would play an important role in securing decent employment by imparting vocational training to the talented youth of the region. CPEC is also working on the Coastal Development Zone in Gwadar. The project would help clean up marine habitat for fishermen and present opportunities for investors..
Over 1,000 unskilled locals are employed on lucrative financial packages along with their complete training at the port as well as the Gwadar Free Zone. Gwadar Free Zone has the capacity to generate more than 40,000 direct jobs in this remote city of Balochistan. With the launch of Gwadar development project the city now has its own vocational training institutes and the university as well with the establishment of model schools for children.
China has installed desalination plants for the provision of drinking water to the local population which has been enhanced to 2.5 million gallons, and three more desalination plants will be established in the city under the CPEC project to increase this capacity to 5 million gallons. In tackling the energy crisis in Gwadar under the CPEC framework a coal power plant has been inaugurated to provide the continuous electricity facility to the local inhabitants of Gwadar.
Unfortunately few miscreant elements under ulterior motives criticize China and CPEC development projects and process. In order to ensure the safe and timely completion of the project, free from security related delays the fencing of designated areas is taking place, boosting security of the city to newer heights and the process is a part of Gwadar city master plan. Recently, the Indian media exaggeratedly manipulated the extended security arrangements for the city including the plan for fencing. The covert activities of militant forces in the area with the help of India and foreign hands have gone very perturbed and disturbed the Pakistani law enforcement agencies with effective security plans to protect the projects of CPEC and Gwadar Port. Pakistan’s army and law enforcement agencies have intensified security operations & crackdown against miscreant forces/organizations in Baluchistan to counter any chance of the terrorist attack toward the workers performing their duties on CPEC projects. The effective security arrangements have ultimately improved the security apparatus of Gwadar Port. Gwadar completed phase-I of its development with CPEC which is a game changer.
Global merchants of souls pouring lots of funds to pollute the importance of the BRI & CPEC in the country especially in Gwadar. Chinese investments have never attacked any conditions but it helps developing countries transform their economies. CPEC is a joint collaboration capitalizing on the geo-strategic position of Pakistan. It’s the mutual responsibility of all the stakeholders to maintain peace in Baluchistan to defeat nefarious designs of USA and India to sabotage development in Gwadar. Gwadar’s domestic situation is still decisive. Until the country’s political and security conditions turn a corner, it is difficult to judge the corridor’s future prospects. For China, this means neutrality, strategic patience, and caution are needed as the construction of this grand initiative continues, thus masses of Pakistan and inhabitants of Gwadar will have to be very cautious not to be misled by the pseudo-intellectual breeds who are paid touts. There has been a systematic and persistent propaganda campaign against the CPEC and it has been the subject of numerous conspiracies and controversies both domestically and internationally. Pakistan and China need to be more active, vigilant and cautious to counter all CPEC-related controversies and conspiracies being hatched in the region and beyond. National media should fight out the US & West propagandas to save strategic assets like CPEC. Sabotaging CPEC is a USA-India ploy. Pakistan Army with support of state institutions and the nation is fully prepared to thwart all internal and external conspiracies against CPEC and if miscreant elements don’t get controlled then I would strongly suggest the Army to launch operation in Gwadar to curtail anti-CPEC militia. Let the CPEC flourish and get complete and reap the fruits of the ensuing change.