Gwadar Port

Gwadar and Chabahar emerge as more than ports – they are strategic battlegrounds where economic ambitions, regional and global power collide.

Located in the sparsely populated Gwadar district of Pakistan’s insurgency-wracked Balochistan province, the airport’s economic viability is doubtful.

But Ashgabat could hesitate to fully commit to the project, given the dire security situation in Balochistan and regional security challenges.

Currently, if functional, the port can manage only 11 million tons of bulk cargo annually, just 17 percent of Karachi Port’s cargo.

Rallies, demonstrations, sit-ins, and protests are ongoing in various parts of Balochistan despite crackdowns by the government. 

Its port and connectivity infrastructure are impressive. However, drainage systems are unable to withstand even a few days of heavy rain.

Even as governments celebrate the "successes" of CPEC, Gwadar’s residents want to be included in its benefits.

Some Pakistanis are worried about Gwadar’s considerable reliance on Iranian electricity, especially in the context of U.S. opposition to trade with Iran.

The revival of the Gwadar power project based on imported coal could heighten Pakistan’s economic stress.

It could. But past experience underscores the importance of Pakistan and Barrick Gold being transparent on the terms of the deal they struck.

Gwadar often sees intense seasonal rains that can cause flooding. Recent CPEC-linked development in the rapidly growing city may be making that problem worse.

Beijing is only in the preparatory stages of creating the architecture required to meaningfully exploit the military capabilities of commercial ports.