The Gwadar Port There is no challenge greater than that of security. Separatists in Balochistan view Gwadar as yet another attempt by the centre to plunder the province’s resources. There have been cases of Chinese engineers being targeted by separatists in the past, which led to a pull-out of most Chinese workers. So far, Nawaz Sharif has done nothing to convince the people of the province that development in Gwadar will benefit the entire country, particularly Balochistan. This is why we have had to offer China so many incentives even though Gwadar will provide them with a lot of economic benefits. There has been no assurance or guarantee from the government that in return for Chinese investments, the $300 billion Reko Diq mines would not be handed over to the Chinese on a plate for peanuts. There is also the vexing issue of money. Chinese contractors will have to be paid on time for any work they do, both in developing the port and the economic corridors. The government’s track record in this regard is far from inspiring. Just recently, a Chinese contractor threatened to halt work on the Neelum-Jhelum project until he was paid Rs4 billion. That the government has not immediately paid out this money is worrying. The project is vital to both our economic and national security needs since, under the Indus Waters Treaty, India will be able to secure water rights from the Neelum River if we do not complete our project before them. For Gwadar to be a success, the government will have to be vigilant in ensuring that such unforced errors are no longer repeated. thenews.pk/Todays-News-8-198029-The-Gwadar-Port
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 09:46:48 +0000
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