B.RAMAN
Despite its continuing concerns over the freedom
struggle of the Balochs which shows no signs of letting up, China, which
originally constructed the languishing commercial port of Gwadar on the Mekran
Coast of Balochistan, is reported to have agreed in principle to take over the
responsibility for the operation of the port.
2.The 40-year-old contract awarded by the Pakistan
Government in 2007 to Singapore’s PSA international for the operation of the
port has been a non-starter due to disputes between the Pakistan Navy and the
PSA International over the free transfer of land to the PSA international for
the construction of warehouses for containers and other infrastructure
facilities and over the failure of the Pakistani authorities to improve the
road and rail connectivity of the port as promised in the contract.
3.The Pakistan Government agreed to the request of
the PSA International to withdraw from the contract. Islamabad has now approved
in principle the signing of a contract with the Chinese Overseas Port Holdings
giving it the responsibility for operating the port.
4.The problems created by the Pakistan Navy in the
transfer of land for the PSA International indicated a lack of enthusiasm in
the Pakistan Navy for the operation of the port by a Singapore company and its preference for handing it
over to the Chinese company.
5.In the eyes of the Pakistan Navy, the Chinese
taking over the responsibility for the operation of the port will have two
advantages. Firstly, the Chinese, with their reputation for the timely
construction of projects, will be able to get the languishing operations
revived quickly. Secondly, it could prove to be the first step towards China
agreeing to a Pakistani request for upgrading the port into a naval base,
available for joint use by the Pakistani and Chinese navies.
6. Taking over the responsibility for the operation
of the port, will have strategic advantages for China. It can bring oil and gas
from Saudi Arabia and Iran to Gwadar and have them transported to Xinjiang
through pipelines. Secondly, it will provide a port of call for ships of China’s
Indian Ocean fleet for refitting and other purposes. At present. Beijing has
not shown any open interest in helping Pakistan by upgrading the existing
Chinese-aided commercial port into a Naval base for joint use by the two
navies.
7. The Chinese took nearly two years to make up
their mind as to whether they should get involved in the operation of the port
due to the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan because of the
on-going freedom struggle of the Balochs. The Balochs are opposed to a Chinese
presence in Gwadar because they look upon the area as their traditional
homeland over which the Pakistan Government has no right to negotiate with any
foreign power. Moreover, the Balochs fear that the Chinese taking over the
responsibility for the operation of the port would result in an induction of a
large number of Punjabis into the Gwadar area to work.
8.The Pakistani authorities are hoping that the
Chinese agreement to take over the operation of the port could act as a
deterrent to India whom they suspect of helping the Baloch freedom-fighters.
8. Beijing’s agreement in principle to take over
the operations of the port speaks of its confidence that they could meet any
security threats from the Baloch freedom-fighters. Whether their confidence
will be sustained or belied has to be seen. The Pakistan Army will not be able
to assure the security of the Chinese working in Gwadar. Unless the PLA decides
to post its own security contingents in Gwadar as it has done for the security
of its nationals working on the upgradation of the Karakoram Highway in
Gilgit-Baltistan, security for the Chinese in Gwadar will be uncertain.
9.What the Pakistan Government announced on January
30, is an agreement in principle for the Chinese company to take over the
responsibility from the Singapore company. The details of the final agreement
are still to be worked out.
10.There is a case regarding the security situation
in Balochistan presently pending before the Pakistan Supreme Court. The Gwadar
project is also linked up in the case. The Supreme Court has to agree to the
Gwadar agreemen with China being treated as a stand alone issue before the
final agreement with China is signed. This should not pose any difficulty
( 1-2-13)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd),
Cabinet Secretariat, Govt of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director,
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For
China Studies. Twitter: @SORBONNE75)
