By: Sangat Zakria Shahwani
Balochistan has attracted the attention of numerous regional and global powers due to its abundant natural resources, minerals, and unique geostrategic importance. Among these interested parties are countries like Russia, the United States of America, China, and India. Let’s delve into the major powers interested in Balochistan.
After the USSR invasion of Afghanistan and its presence along the Durand Line caused unrest in Balochistan, the power dynamics in the region underwent a sudden shift.
This upheaval contributed to the onset of the Cold War, which later emerged as one of the factors shaping the roadmap to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Exactly a decade later, in 2002, the Saindak Copper and Gold project was handed over to China for a 10-year period.
Subsequently renewed in 2012 and 2017, it has now been extended for an additional 15 years. Currently, China is seeking secure access to the Indian Ocean, a goal opposed by major global powers including the USA, India, and Russia, the latter of which is currently aligning itself with China. These global powers do not support China’s ambition for control over the Indian Ocean, fearing that it would enable China to dominate the region, especially with the strategic advantage provided by the Gwadar harbor.
Russia and India are significant regional powers in Asia, both of which are concerned about China’s development of the port in Balochistan. This development raises strategic and logistical concerns not only for the world at large but particularly for India and Russia.
Moreover, Balochistan’s direct connection to the Arabian Sea offers the shortest route for the trade of oil and gas, making it one of the gateways to Central Asia. The fact that Gwadar connects China to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean poses a challenge for the United States of America. The USA opposes China’s presence in the Indian Ocean because it seeks to maintain its status as the sole superpower. Therefore, the USA is aware that China would undoubtedly exploit any power vacuum left if the USA and its allies, such as India, fail to maintain control in the Indian Ocean or the surrounding region.
After 9/11, the US sought a means to gain access to the Arabian Sea. With Afghanistan and Balochistan sharing a long border, Balochistan has become a focal point in Washington since then. China’s involvement in Balochistan has further intensified the direct or indirect interests of the USA and India in the region. Tensions escalated following the deployment of Chinese naval forces in the Arabian Sea.
Simultaneously, the United States aims to assert dominance over the Indian Ocean. Should China succeed with its Balochistan project, its economy would expand, establishing connections to the Middle East and Africa via the flagship project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). One of the primary concerns for both international and regional powers is the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for oil transport, situated in Balochistan and in close proximity to Gwadar. If China gains access to the Gwadar port, it could potentially disrupt the global oil supply by instigating issues in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz.
In addition, the Gwadar port holds significant importance for New Delhi. Being a major future metropolis, Gwadar has a considerable impact on Balochistan and serves as a crucial energy hub. However, India has announced the Chabahar project with Iran, which holds strategic importance equivalent to that of Gwadar port. Chabahar is another port city situated in western Balochistan, currently within the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan. In 2015, the Indian and Iranian governments agreed to develop the Chabahar port project. Meanwhile, tensions between India and China remain high. However, Balochistan and Iran share the same trade routes in the Indian Ocean as they always have and are neighboring regions.
In conclusion, Pakistan’s socioeconomic development, the construction of Gwadar port, and the development of Balochistan as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) were envisioned as game-changers. However, they have remained distant dreams. Instead of witnessing progress, poverty and starvation persist among the population. Baloch people find themselves excluded from the benefits of the CPEC and are treated as outsiders in their own country.
Despite Pakistan’s government if the growth of Balochistan, supported by China, will benefit locals, the unfortunate reality is starkly different. Residents continue to demand necessities such as a means of subsistence, safe drinking water, and basic healthcare facilities, which they still lack. Not all locals share the government’s enthusiasm. In Gwadar, residents have been protesting regularly for the past few years, feeling that their rights and demands are being disregarded.
Sangath Zakria Shawani is a political Science Students and writer. He writes on different social and political aspects of Balochistan and regularly publish his material with Balochistan Affairs
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