Tag Archives: Gwadar

Gwadar for outsiders, particularly keen investors and businessmen, evokes enthusiasm. They equate it with a place open to visitors and ready for investment. But the imposing omni-present physical and procedural security barriers kill that enthusiasm.

Vested interests have come up with a new and dangerous technique, what we call ‘embellished news’, meaning that the gist of the news item is true but it is blown out of proportion, than generalized and the negativity maximized, thus achieving the same effect: to unsettle, destabilize and sow doubts and distrust.

With no water and no electricity, how can the Pakistani government hope to sell Gwadar as the most critical link in the CPEC chain, asks one analyst.

Pakistani political parties probably need to agree on a new social contract around Pak-China friendship. Guided by the grand political consensus on relations with China, this contract should envisage remedies for problems that are arising out of the business and investment activity, argues one analyst.

The multinational military activities concentrated within the relatively limited geographical confines of Djibouti could provide an environment for new forms of maritime and military cooperation. But it’s more likely that Djibouti will become a hot-bed of intrigue, espionage and counter-espionage as the separate military forces closely watch each other’s activities.

Regional alignments are shifting with China, Pakistan, Russia and Iran coming together. The muscular diplomacy of the Narendra Modi government erred in its overestimation of India’s South China Sea leverage. India lacked traditional influence in that region and it is not even a claimant to the territorial disputes there. Today, therefore, its Look East policy is in shambles and a US retrenchment in Asia threatens to make it archaic.

Chinese officials and those associated with Gwadar projects seem very happy with the development of roads as well as the raising of the Northern and Southern Special Security Divisions for their protection. What they, however, want is prompt decisions and objection-free executions and expect the central government to put to rest the controversy over eastern and western routes. 

Since the news of civilian-military rift over Pakistan’s secret support to armed groups, whether right or wrong, was leaked from a meeting pertaining to national security, those leaking the information should have their “security clearance” revoked and barred from public office.

Self-interest motivates most friendships and partnerships, particularly between nations. Failing to take pro-active foreign policy initiatives, what can one expect from a political leadership who are mostly in London and Dubai for Umrah, Eid or for other reasons at a time when the country is undergoing serious domestic and external challenges?

With free trade zones and only 72 kilometers to be inter-connected by road and rail, Chahbahar and Gwadar are complementary instead of being in competition.