Pakistani government is planning to build an oil refinery in a bid to convert the port city of Gwadar in Balochistan into “an oil city”, a Pakistani minister has said.
Khusro Bakhtyar, the minister for planning, development and reforms told media that the government wants to turn the Chiense-funded Gwadar port into ‘an oil city’ to reduce dependence on imported refined fule.
Pakistan earlier in the week hosted a Saudi delegation, which is reported to be considering funding the project.
Pakistani newspapers Dawn and The News reported that Saudis might be considering investing in the refinery project, which will be a multi-billion-dollar venture.
Pakistan is also expecting Saudi government to provide financial assistance to avoid another bailout by the International Monetary fund amid a foreign currency crisis. Pakistan has seen its foreign reserves plummet to about $9billion, making it extremely difficult to meet its external debt. The Pakistani rupee has lost more than 20 percent of its value since December last year.
Earlier Pakistan’s Information Secretary had claimed that Saudi Arabia is also considering investment in China funded China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Baloch reaction:
The Baloch leaders have strongly condemned Saudi plans to invest in Balochistan. Various Baloch leader issued strong statements in last few days warning Saudi Arabia against investment in what they called an ‘occupied territory’.
Dr Allah Nazar, the chief of Balochistan’s largest armed group Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), did not mince his words by saying that Saudi Arabia will be considered an enemy if it joins hands with China and Pakistan.
“Balochistan is an occupied territory in which any country’s investment is infringement of international laws regarding occupied and controversial regions,” Dr Allah Nazar said in his statement on Saturday.
Commander Aslam Baloch, leader of one of Balochistan’s most lethal groups Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), said that Saudi Arabia should refrain from believing Pakistani lies on Balochistan.
He said that CPEC and other such projects are direct attacks on Baloch interests, and warned that these projects will meet extreme resistance.
He added that Balochistan is an occupied territory and Baloch youth are continuously struggling for its independence.
CPEC, with a large portion of its corridor passing through Balochistan, is facing high resistance by ‘Baloch freedom fighters’.
In August this year, BLA carried out a suicide attack on a bus carrying out Chinese engineers in Dalbandeen. At least three Chinese engineers were killed in the attack. The suicide attack in August was carried out by elder son of Commander Aslam Baloch. BLA had said it will carry more such attacks if China fails to quit Balochistan.