Jakarta, clubnet Indonesia
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Without a single passenger or commercial aircraft,
airport
The latest and most expensive Pakistan, New Gwadar International Airport, is still a mystery.Fully funded by China worth US $ 240 million or around Rp3.9 trillion, there is no certainty when the airport will operate.
This airport, which is located in the coastal city of Gwadar and completed in October 2024, is in contrast to the Balochistan province around it which is poor and full of turmoil in the southwest of Pakistan.
Over the past decade, China has disbursed funds to Balochistan and Gwadar as part of the project worth billions of dollars connecting Xinjiang Province in West China with the Arabian Sea.This project is known as the Chinese-Pakistan or CPEC economic corridor.
Pakistani authority praised this project as transformative, but a little evidence of change was seen in Gwadar.The city is not connected to the national electricity network, electricity supply comes from neighboring Iran or solar panels, and does not have enough clean water.
The airport with a capacity of 400,000 passengers is clearly not a priority for 90,000 residents of this city.
“This airport is not for Pakistan or Gwadar,” said Azeem Khalid, an International Relations Expert who specialized in Pakistan-China relations, “as reported
Independent
.”This is for China, so they have safe access for their citizens to Gwadar and Balochistan,” he added.
CPEC PICU Tension and Separatist Violence
The CPEC has catalyzed the rebellion that lasted for decades in Balochistan, a province that is rich in resources and is strategically located.The separatist group, who felt disadvantaged by the exploitation of the state at the cost of local residents, struggled for independence, targeted both Pakistani troops and Chinese workers in the province and elsewhere.
Ethnic minority members of Baloch Pakistan said they faced discrimination by the government and rejected the opportunities available elsewhere in the country, the accusations denied by the government.
Pakistan, who wants to protect China’s investment, has increased its military presence in Gwadar to fight differences of opinion.The city is a collection of inspection posts, barbed wires, troops, barricades, and supervisory towers.
The streets are often closed at any time, a few days a week, to allow a safe journey for Chinese workers and Pakistani VIP.
Intelligence officers monitored journalists who visited Gwadar.The city fish market is considered too sensitive to covered.Many local residents feel very tense.
“In the past, no one asked where we were going, what we did, and what was your name,” said Khuda Bakhsh Hashim, 76 years old, the native of Gwadar.”We used to enjoy picnics all night in the mountains or rural areas,” he continued.
“We are asked to prove our identity, who we are, where we came from,” he said.”We are residents. Those who ask questions must identify themselves who they are,” he added.
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