The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was launched with much fanfare in 2015. Initially valued at $46 billion, the project soon swelled to $62 billion, equivalent to one-fifth of Pakistan’s GDP. The coastal town of Gwadar, once a neglected port, was revitalized as part of the broader development of CPEC and declared fully operational in 2021. However, the project has not catalyzed local economic growth or provided China direct access to the Indian Ocean as anticipated.
Gwadar has a rich and complex history intertwined with political claims over its territory. To understand this discourse, we delve into the past, exploring how different powers have justified their control over this strategic town.
The indigenous people of Gwadar have borne the brunt of this mega project. The city was sealed off with barricades, military checkpoints, and fences, barring indigenous people from entry. The local population is being separated from their own city, seen as a colonial tactic that violates fundamental human rights and freedom.
Colonial Legacy: British Influence
During the 19th century, Gwadar was part of the British Empire’s colonial holdings. However, by the mid-20th century, the British Empire had formally dissolved, leading to significant political and geographical changes. The British unilaterally established border commissions and treaties, dividing Baloch land and consolidating political control.
Noori Naseer Khan and the Omani Connection
In 1783, during the reign of Noori Naseer Khan, Gwadar came under the control of Omani prince Sultan bin Ahmad. The transfer occurred after Bin Ahmad’s failed coup against his father. Noori Naseer granted Bin Ahmad authority over Gwadar, along with a share of its revenue. Despite becoming the Sultan of Oman in 1792, Bin Ahmad did not return Gwadar to the Kalat State. In 1903, the Khan of Kalat officially laid claim to Gwadar through the British Indian government.
Post-Partition Struggles
After the Partition of the Subcontinent in 1947, Oman retained control of Gwadar. However, Pakistan soon initiated efforts to reclaim the port town, arguing on historical grounds that Gwadar had been part of the Kalat State, now incorporated into Pakistan.
Conflicting Narratives
Gwadar’s history remains enigmatic, with divergent accounts emphasizing its strategic significance and political dominance. The Pakistani state asserts that Gwadar belongs to the federation, citing historical ties. However, debates persist, underscoring the complexity of this coastal town’s past and its role in shaping regional dynamics.
Why Fencing?
After the announcement of CPEC and declaring Gwadar its hub, Baloch freedom fighters warned Pakistan and China to withdraw and halt any investment in Gwadar, viewing the multi-billion project as a new form of colonialism. The most powerful Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) declared a military campaign against China, forming a special unit to carry out tactical attacks on Chinese interests in Gwadar. They started attacking Chinese citizens working on various projects.
The strategic suicide brigade of BLA carried out lethal attacks on Chinese workers, diplomats, and civilians, primarily in Gwadar. Pakistani authorities justified the militarization and fencing of Gwadar as necessary for the security of the CPEC project, economic zones, and the Gwadar port. The BLA initiated “Operation Zirpahazag” (Operation Protection of the Sea) to protect the Baloch coast from “occupation and exploitation”, particularly in connection with CPEC, and to retaliate against what they describe as the ongoing genocide of the Baloch Nation.
Escalation of Violence
On August 11, 2018, the Majeed Brigade targeted a bus of Chinese engineers in the Dalbandin area of Balochistan. This attack was carried out by the son of BLA chief Aslam Baloch. Later that year, on November 23, they targeted the Chinese consulate in Karachi, followed by an attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar on May 11, 2019. On June 2021, a convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar. On April 26, 2022, the first Baloch woman Fidayee, Shari Baloch, targeted Chinese citizens at Karachi University, killing four people, including the director of the Confucius Institute.
On August 13, 2023, BLA attacked a convoy of vehicles belonging to Chinese engineers and Pakistani forces in Gwadar. On March 24, 2024, Majeed Brigade launched another attack, targeting Pakistan’s intelligence agencies at the GDA complex in Gwadar, a highly secure zone. Later that month, Majeed Brigade attacked Pakistan’s second-largest naval air station, PNS Siddique, in Turbat, known for its strategic importance and the stationing of Chinese drones. BLA declared this operation as the fifth phase of Operation Zirpahazag.
The simultaneous and coordinated attacks on Chinese interests in Gwadar have contributed to the Pakistani and Chinese regimes’ decision to barricade and fence the entire city. This has caused distress among the Baloch people. Notably, CPEC has failed to deliver on promises of economic and infrastructural development. Instead, it has disrupted indigenous lives, depriving native people of basic human necessities such as health, education, and drinking water. The lack of sustainable development indicates that CPEC has never been an economic or developmental project; rather, it is a military and imperial initiative through which China aims to ensure its presence in the region for global dominance.
History of Fencing Gwadar
In 2020, the Gwadar Development Authority, with the assistance of the federal and Chinese governments, issued a new master plan for the port city. This plan included new security measures, later referred to as the Gwadar Safe City Project, costing approximately $10 million. Cameras were to be installed throughout the city as part of a larger surveillance system. Installing barbed wire and fencing an entire population area of 24 sq.km expresses the notion of militarization. China is financing the fencing of the city. According to the new city plan, two entry and exit points will be established, providing a sense of safety to the Chinese workforce and non-Baloch residents in the city.
Pakistani officials claim that Gwadar fencing aims to transform the city into a modern town with industrial zones, trade centers, and housing areas. Authorities believe this cannot be achieved without securing the city.
Zubaida Jalal, the then federal minister for defense production, denied claims that the Gwadar fencing was to appease China. “There are security reasons behind it; it will provide security to locals,” she said.
Pro-government security analysts argue that the Gwadar fencing is necessary to ensure development in the area. Ijaz Awan, a retired military official and defense expert, says those opposing the Gwadar fencing are foreign agents. “They are against all development projects. The fencing will be carried out and will be completed,” Awan vowed.
Despite large-scale protests throughout Balochistan, some parts of the city where foreigners reside were fenced off. The entire route from Gwadar zero point to the port was fenced, creating a separate road for Chinese workers and Pakistani high-ranking delegations. This fence disrupted the lives of indigenous people and blocked fishermen from their usual access points to the sea. The fencing of the entire city was eventually halted after facing a wave of criticism.
Leading political forces opposing the fencing include the Balochistan National Party, Haq Do Tehreek, and the National Party. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee also denounced the fencing of Gwadar and mobilized masses against this project, initiating social media campaigns #StopFencingGwadar followed by protests and demonstrations in different regions of Balochistan.
Recent Developments
The fencing of Gwadar city recently resumed, sparking a wave of protests. Trenches dug on the outskirts of Gwadar have led to skepticism among the Baloch people, who question why workers are digging trenches if the government does not plan to erect a security fence. Government officials, including Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Hamood Rehman, denied plans for erecting a fence barrier around the city.
Resistance and Advocacy
The Baloch masses have strongly resisted the fencing of Gwadar city, viewing it as a colonial tactic to alienate local people from the city. There is strong opposition to this project and demands for its immediate termination to safeguard the rights and well-being of the local population. Despite the resistance, the project, initially halted, is now being revived by the Balochistan provincial and federal government. The fencing of 24 square kilometers in Gwadar is expected to exacerbate concerns regarding surveillance and control in the city.
On May 12, the local population, along with the BYC, led a protest against the fencing of Gwadar. Additionally, a campaign against it was launched on social media. BYC also organized a full-day conference at Quetta Press Club titled “Fencing Gwadar: From Mega Project to Mega Prison” (#COFG2024). Participants included teachers, journalists, lawyers, political activists, scholars, and researchers who gathered to initiate an intellectual debate on the fencing of Gwadar and its impacts on the political, social, and economic conditions of the Baloch people.
Among the participants was K.B. Firaq, an indigenous writer, intellectual, and activist, who shared his thoughts about the fencing of Gwadar. He stated, “We are being told that this barricade will provide development, facilities, and a better life, while the reality is that this fence further worsens the already dire conditions of the people of Gwadar.” He emphasized that the fencing aims to separate the people, isolating Gwadar city from the rest of Balochistan, causing psychological distress, disrupting the indigenous source of income, and eventually destroying the cultural heritage of Gwadar.
Naseer Dashti, a London-based Baloch intellectual and historian, also presented his thoughts during the conference. He declared China as a new colonial power in the Baloch region, stating that the fence marks the beginning of a new colonial era in Balochistan, an attempt to populate settlers from Punjab and China to subdue the Baloch population. He argued that the fence is not meant for security measures but to allocate land to China.
Advocate Iman Hazir Mazari expressed her thoughts during the conference, comparing the fencing of Gwadar to Israel’s security narrative before the International Court of Justice on the wall construction case in Palestine. She emphasized that this violates international human rights and humanitarian laws. Acknowledging that Balochistan is in a state of war, she stressed the importance of upholding the laws of war and humanitarian laws, declaring the fencing an absurdity and an unconstitutional action.
Baloch veteran and senior political leader Mir Muhammad Ali Talpur narrated that the entire fencing project neglects the concerns of indigenous peoples, prioritizing strategic interests and dominance over the local population. Dr. Mahrang Baloch stated that elite projects like CPEC turn against locals, noting that CPEC has failed to deliver drinking water and is now taking their lands.