History of Gwadar Port

The Gwadar Port

The Gwadar Port is an Arabian Sea’s deep seaport located in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The Gwadar Port Authority of the Pakistan government owns it and leases it to the China Overseas Port Holding Company for operation....

Geopolitical Impact of Gwadar Port on India

India has expressed concern over China encircling it in a “String of Pearls” and Gwadar port is one such initiative of it. China’s aggressive regional engagements have long concerned India. India faces a number of geopolitical impacts.  The expansion of Gwadar port puts India’s naval security in the Arabian Sea and a sizeable amount of its energy and oil imports through the Gulf of Oman in peril. Indian maritime surveillance in the Andaman Sea could increase after Chinese interest in the Pakistani port of Gwadar. The project may aid insurgency and terrorism and increase security hazards due to its proximity to Baluchistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The port project’s lack of accountability and transparency raises questions because it could be strategically and economically biased in favor of China. Through broadcast TV’s terrestrial distribution in Pakistan, which will collaborate with Chinese media in the “dissemination of Chinese culture,” China will likewise spread its ideology and culture. As Pakistan’s foreign policy, particularly with India, may be dictated by China, exacerbating the already strained relations and causing political instability in South Asia, the project may weaken Pakistan’s sovereignty; India might stop Chinese imports from crossing the straits in the event of hostilities. India’s Response to Gwadar Port: India’s response was to build Chabahar Port, which is only 76 nautical miles from Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, which was built by China. India decided to proceed with the construction of the Chabahar Port in order to enhance trade connectivity with Russia, countries in Central Asia, and Afghanistan. India has agreed to invest in the Chabahar Special Economic Zone through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).  India places a high focus on developing the Chabahar-Hajigak corridor. The Afghan government awarded Indian companies the contract for the Hajigak iron and steel project, making it noteworthy. Though Chabahar is merely a business venture, Gwadar is a military strategic endeavor. Iran is also concerned about Gwadar’s growth, which is considered as a threat to Chabahar....

History of Gwadar Port

The term Gwadar is a fusion of two Balochi words, guard meaning ‘wind’ and dar meaning ‘door’, thus understood as meaning, ‘The Door of Wind’....

Master Plan for Gwadar Port

In order to implement the “Gwadar Master Plan,” which was revealed in 2002, the Gwadar Development Authority was set up in October 2003. The Master Plan’s original focus was solely on Gwadar’s “land usage.” Currently, they also include the “Internal Road Network, Land Zoning, and Vision for Future Gwadar.” The construction of Gwadar Port takes place in two stages....

CPEC and Gwadar Port

According to a 2015 report, Gwadar port will be developed as a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC). CPEC would spend $1.62 billion on the development of Gwadar port. As part of the larger $2.5 billion Gwadar-Nawabshah segment of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, a floating LNG facility will also be built at the port....

India’s Response to Gwadar Port

India’s response was to build Chabahar Port, which is only 76 nautical miles from Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, which was built by China. India decided to proceed with the construction of the Chabahar Port in order to enhance trade connectivity with Russia, countries in Central Asia, and Afghanistan. India has agreed to invest in the Chabahar Special Economic Zone through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).  India places a high focus on developing the Chabahar-Hajigak corridor. The Afghan government awarded Indian companies the contract for the Hajigak iron and steel project, making it noteworthy. Though Chabahar is merely a business venture, Gwadar is a military strategic endeavor. Iran is also concerned about Gwadar’s growth, which is considered as a threat to Chabahar....

Way Forward

According to the agreement, India’s participation in the development of Iran’s Chabahar Port is a response to the substantial construction initiatives in Gwadar.  China-sponsored Gwadar port in Pakistan and India-sponsored Chabahar in Iran has been referred to as “strategic geopolitical launch pads” for China and India, respectively.  India’s future CPEC policy must be built on a thorough reevaluation of the possible advantages as well as disadvantages. An economic cooperation pact between India and Japan called the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor can offer India significant strategic advantages and compete with China’s infrastructural projects like Gwadar port. India has to move more quickly on the creation of its own key projects, such as the Chabahar Port and Bangladesh, China, India, and Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM). The construction of a link between Gwadar and Chabahar has been proposed by the Iranian government as a gesture of goodwill to promote cooperation over competition....

Conclusion

Finally, the Gwadar Port of Pakistan, which is being heavily built by China, has grown in prominence in light of recent world events that are increasingly focused on maritime-related commercial activities. Both trade and security can benefit from control over port operations and regulation of marine communication links....

Gwadar Port and its Geopolitical India- FAQs

What is Gwadar Port and where is it located?...