Pakistan’s New Gwadar International Airport, funded by China at $240 million, stands empty in an impoverished region of Balochistan. Despite being completed in October 2024 and designed for 400,000 passengers, locals struggle with inadequate resources, lacking clean water and reliable electricity. The airport, part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), primarily serves Chinese interests rather than local residents. A surge in insurgency and local grievances against perceived exploitation complicates the situation. Protests for improved living conditions have yielded no results, leaving locals feeling excluded from potential benefits. Security measures to protect Chinese interests further alienate the Baloch community.
Gwadar:
Pakistan’s latest and priciest airport remains an enigma, standing empty with no flights or passengers. Financed entirely by China at a cost of $240 million, the timeline for the operational launch of New Gwadar International Airport remains uncertain.
Situated in the coastal city of Gwadar and finalized in October 2024, the airport starkly contrasts with the impoverished and turbulent Balochistan province that surrounds it.
Over the last decade, China has invested heavily in Balochistan and Gwadar as part of a multibillion-dollar initiative linking its western Xinjiang province to the Arabian Sea, referred to as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
While officials promote it as a transformative project, tangible changes in Gwadar appear minimal. The city lacks access to the national electricity grid—power is sourced from neighboring Iran or through solar panels—and clean water is in short supply.
An airport with a capacity for 400,000 passengers isn’t a pressing need for the town’s 90,000 residents.
“This airport is not intended for Pakistan or Gwadar,” remarked Azeem Khalid, an expert in international relations focusing on Pakistan-China relations. “It serves China’s interests, granting their citizens secure access to Gwadar and Balochistan.”
Caught between militants and the military
The CPEC has intensified a long-standing insurgency in the resource-abundant and strategically significant Balochistan. Separatists, claiming state exploitation at the locals’ expense, are pushing for independence and targeting both Pakistani security forces and Chinese workers in the region.
Ethnic Baloch citizens allege discrimination from the government, saying they are denied the same opportunities available to residents of other regions—accusations that the government refutes.
To safeguard Chinese investments, Pakistan has intensified its military presence in Gwadar to suppress dissent. The city is heavily fortified with checkpoints, barbed wire, troops, barricades, and watchtowers. Roads often close to ensure the safe transit of Chinese workers and Pakistani dignitaries.
Journalists visiting Gwadar are monitored by intelligence officers. Certain areas, like the fish market, are deemed too sensitive for media coverage.
Local residents are feeling the pressure.
“No one used to question our movements—where we were going, what we were doing, or our names,” reminisced 76-year-old local Khuda Bakhsh Hashim. “We would enjoy all-night picnics in the mountains or rural areas.”
“Now, we have to validate our identity, explain who we are and where we come from,” he continued. “We are the residents. Those questioning us should also disclose who they are.”
Hashim shared fond memories of when Gwadar was a part of Oman rather than Pakistan, serving as a port for passenger ships traveling to Mumbai. He recalled a time when hunger was rare and finding work was straightforward—food was plentiful, and drinking water was available.
However, drought and unregulated exploitation have led to the depletion of Gwadar’s water resources. Employment opportunities have also diminished.
The government claims that CPEC has generated around 2,000 local jobs, but it remains unclear whether “local” refers to Baloch residents or individuals from other areas of Pakistan. Authorities provided no further details.
People in Gwadar see few benefits from China’s presence
Despite being simple yet appealing, Gwadar offers excellent food and friendly locals who engage with visitors. The city buzzes during public holidays, particularly at the beaches.
Yet, there’s a prevailing belief that visiting Gwadar can be perilous or challenging—only one commercial route operates from the domestic airport, running three times a week to Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan at the southern end of the country’s Arabian Sea coast.
No direct flights connect to Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, located hundreds of miles inland, nor to Islamabad, which lies even further north. A picturesque coastal highway is short on facilities.
Since the onset of the Baloch insurgency five decades ago, thousands have gone missing in the province—those who speak out against exploitation or oppression risk detention, locals assert.
There is a palpable sense of anxiety; activists raise concerns over forced disappearances and torture, which the government disputes.
Hashim hopes for the success of CPEC, wishing for local job opportunities that could instill hope and purpose, especially among the youth. So far, his hopes remain unfulfilled.
“If someone has food to eat, why would he choose a wrong path?” he questioned. “Upsetting people is not a wise choice.”
Reports indicate a decrease in militant violence in Balochistan following a government counterinsurgency in 2014, which plateaued toward the decade’s end, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
However, attacks have surged since 2021, steadily increasing since. Militant factions, particularly the banned Baloch Liberation Army, have gained momentum following the Pakistani Taliban’s resumption of hostilities with the government in November 2022.
An inauguration delayed
Concerns over security led to delays in inaugurating the international airport, with worries that nearby mountains could provide a perfect vantage point for potential attacks.
Consequently, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang held a virtual inauguration ceremony. The inaugural flight was off-limits to media and the public.
Abdul Ghafoor Hoth, the district president of the Balochistan Awami Party, stated that not a single Gwadar resident was employed at the airport, “not even as a watchman.”
“Forget about other jobs—how many Baloch individuals are employed at this port built for CPEC?” he questioned.
In December, Hoth led daily protests regarding living conditions in Gwadar, which lasted 47 days until the authorities promised to address locals’ demands, including improved access to electricity and water.
Yet, no advancements have been made in fulfilling those promises since.
With the absence of local labor, goods, or services, the trickle-down benefits from CPEC are non-existent, emphasized international relations expert Khalid. As Chinese investments flow into Gwadar, a robust security apparatus has emerged, exacerbating divisions and fostering distrust.
“The Pakistani government is reluctant to offer anything to the Baloch people, and the Baloch are equally unwilling to accept anything from the government,” asserted Khalid.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)