Handing over Gwadar to China, Baloch Resistance, Indian Dilemma and Concerns of World Powers. By Hafeez Hassanabadi

Handing over Gwadar to China,

Baloch Resistance, Indian Dilemma and Concerns of World Powers.

By  Hafeez Hassanabadi

The rapacious exploitation of Baloch Coast and natural resources by Iran and Pakistan is as continuing as did other colonial powers with their colonies world over.

However, it is noteworthy to mention here that the die heart Baloch has continued to resist the exploitation of national resources despite being left alone at the mercy of two‘‘ jihadi’’ states i.e. Pakistan and Iran.

Though the resistance could not put a complete halt to exploitation, it slowed the velocity to a considerable level.

This time around, Baloch as a nation with a strong resolve to get rid of slavery has succeeded in registering their massage to Pakistani and Iranian states that their forced relationship with them does not work anymore.

Though with a limited beginning, the resistance has now permeated extensively every strata of Baloch society and, of course, it has matured to the desirable level.

Despite enjoying international financial and political supports, both Pakistan and Iran have failed to contain Baloch resistance since 2005. And that is the big reason that they’ve now decided to include China to crush the resistance.

Apparently it seems normal for any country to strike trade deal and establish defense ties with one another but given the geopolitics of the region i.e. Baloch national issue, the withdrawal of America and Nato Forces from Afghanistan, and in the presence of prominent role of America, India and Russia in the region, striking such strategic deal as Gwadar’s handover to

China presents a morbid interest that Pakistan is harboring against the will of Baloch nation.

This deal on the one hand, not only helps Pakistan to perpetuate its imperial and colonial rule over Baloch nation, on the other, it also presents a threat to world peace and Baloch survival.

To what extend this deal is for commercial considerations. Lin Boqiang, the director of the China Centre for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University says;

“China has agreed to take over the Gwadar port in the troubled Baluchistan province despite security risks due to its strategic value and not for commercial considerations”.

Now that take over has created a security situation in the region. Surprisingly, given the security situation, it was China that withdrew from Iran and Pakistan gas pipeline program for security reason, but today the same reason security did not deter it from committing strategic deal with Pakistan. It means both countries are aiming at something different.

Baloch, as the sovereign owner of Balochistan’s resources, are against of such projects and struggle to force Pakistan to unconditionally withdraw from Balochistan. And beside this both India and America too opposed that project of IP. Here several questions come in our mind but two questions are very important to be treated in this write up. First how come all of sudden Pakistan became so generous to China by handing over Gwadar to it for military use? In other words what is Pakistani motive behind this? Secondly, do they succeed in their schemes against the odds of Baloch resistance and American opposition?

Pakistani Motive: Pakistan’s kindness to China isn’t a coincidental one: Pakistan is drowning and trying to clutch at a straw. Internationally isolated and internally destabilized Pakistani rulers are compelled to offer a big sacrifice so that the two countries benefit from it.

As the saying goes, “There's no such thing as a free lunch” cheap land, cheap labour, two million settlers are pogrommed to be settled in strategic cities like Gwadar to upset the demographic setup of Baloch population in the name of job creation.

Being in close vicinity of Gulf countries abundant with gas and oil and setting on the treasures of Baloch natural resources, to establish a permanent energy and trade corridor through that port of Gwadar from Gulf countries to Eastern China, in order to counter its, formal rival, India’s sphere of influence, helping China to establish its hegemony in Indian Ocean which is already engaged in a strategic move of encircling Indian marine power in the region through Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh by establishing ports on their respective shores.

The main reason of bestowing many benefits upon China is that Pakistan knows that it cannot maintain its colonial rule over Baloch homeland in the long run. Neither it’s in a position to

convince world capitalists to invest in Balochistan, nor does it has any moral ground to restore its lost trust at international level.

As a result of its own wrong doings, it has resorted to such a strategic move to punish Baloch nation along with world community.

In return, China not only internally helps Pakistan to perpetuate human rights abuses, breach international laws and continue to rule over other people lands as a colonial power, but also, at international forums, china lobbies for Pakistan to strengthen its economy and get weapons. And externally a super power like Russia would lend its support to Pakistan as result of Chinese lobbying, which eventually forms a block.

Though, for her provisional interests, China is ready to support Pakistan, but there comes a day when China repents its support to Pakistan just like America that supported Pakistani war against pro Soviet Kabul government.

Apparently China Constructs a Port here for her own end, in return Pakistan benefits from it in form of military and economic aid, but all these aids end up in the terrorism producing factories run by ISI situated in different parts of Pakistan, in general terms they are called Madrasas numbering hundreds of thousands. Their representatives are the members of Pakistani parliaments belonging to different Islamic political Parties where they directly influence the legislative process. Now these Madrasas and Mullah became the compulsory components of Pakistani state structure. In other words this state is as addicted to Islamic terrorism as a drug addicted whose first priority is to satisfy his habit whenever he receives a penny. America and its European allies have realized their mistakes therefore they’re opposing it. But despite that Pakistan has signed the agreement by repeating the mantra of its economic importance. As, according to some analysts, America is against it, therefore it does not succeed. But we don’t think so, as Pakistan has blackmailed entire world, and of course, America by going against the will of international community.

Did America agree to an irresponsible country like Pakistan to become an atomic power? Was America happy to see Pakistan provide safe heaven to Osama Bin Landen in its military garrison city? Did America consent to Pakistan’s heinous crime of proliferation of WMD to countries like Northern Korea, Iran and Libya? Did America want Pakistan to mortar shell her and ally forces in Afghanistan? Do you think America is happy that Pakistan has drawn a distinguishing line between good and bad Taliban which has created obstacle for effort in Afghanistan. There are several areas where American and Pakistani interests are contradicting each other. If Pakistan can get done several such things by playing cat and mouse with America, it will not listen to anybody regarding this project, as China’s help

directly boasts its arrogance

Indian protest and concern can be a reason of satisfaction to Pakistan and the valid question for world community is how to prevent it from playing such dangerous game? Does imposing economic sanctions work on it like Iran, or not? Our answer is 50% yes and 50% no. By yes, we mean that sanctions weaken it and its affiliates but if the concerned forces did not take timely advantage of that weakness and the state and its terrorist squads secret agencies having their back against the wall, it is here where their border starts.

Because, in our point of view, the sanctions do work beyond that specific limit, it does not mean that Pakistan would seek an alternative or another power would come forwards and help it out to walk or even creep. In fact, Pakistan is in possess of two types of dangerous weapons: atom bombs alone with chemical stockpiles and a highly organized army of fanatic platoons, In the event of being pushed against the wall, they’ll all go berserk like mad dogs and turn everything upside down in the region. its impacts and ramifications need to be treated separately, but here in concise, it can be said that entire region start bleeding and several news Afghanistans would emerge out of it. The only treatment of this disease is that Baloch freedom movement, at least, must be revitalized before Pakistan is completely pushed against the wall so that it could internally counter and neutralize the negative forces before they split over other boundaries.

But it must be kept in mind that America and the civilized world, including India are serious about Baloch national freedom movement. Because Baloch leadership, Particularly Hyr Beyar Marri, Dr Alla Nazar and Brahamdag Bugti never approve of any proxy war and as a whole, Baloch nation too never approve of such notion as proxy war because their commitment to freedom movement is based on national consciousness. They hope that international community would sincerely adopt a straight forwards stance about their fate. If it is meticulously observed that one would find that an independent secular Baloch state is in interest of international community.

In concise, Baloch is the only effective power that can stop China from acquiring Gwadar Project. Pakistan, without their consent cannot succeed in its designs. If the world community supported Baloch nation, they themselves would put an end to that project for their own interest. And if world did not come forwards and supported Baloch, then Pakistan and China together would exert their all-out force to liquidate entire Baloch nation which is supposed to be the only natural ally of the positive forces in the entire region - thus the loot and plunder of vast resources of Baloch nation without any hindrance and from here both would continue to disrupt the balance of power in the region at their ease.

After all, Pakistani rulers have severally time reiterated that they’re not in need of Baloch nation; they need only their precious land. Today Baloch nation has stood up and resisting Pakistani occupation with their limited resources, now it is up to international community to come forwards and support Baloch nation to regain their lost sovereignty and restore their free state of Balochistan or to become a spectator when Pakistani terrorists with their diplomatic passports would hijack their citizens with a permanent fear.

 Translated by Archen Baloch