Officials from the new Gwadar International Airport in Balochistan are receiving professional training in China, but the program notably excludes local staff from Gwadar.
According to reports, twenty Pakistani officials have begun multidisciplinary courses conducted by the China Airport Construction Group. The initiative aims to equip the Pakistani staff with the skills needed to operate the airport independently.
A Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority official said that the training expenses are covered under China Aid, with no cost to the Pakistani government. The training encompasses various areas, including operations, management, security, engineering, and mechanical work.
The exclusion of local staff has sparked criticism from Gwadar youth, who argue that the Gwadar International Airport project, initiated in 2007, has consistently overlooked the local population.
Last month, the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) Azad issued a statement claiming that Gwadar International Airport is not intended for Balochistan’s development but rather “to facilitate Punjabi and Chinese settlement in the region.”
“The new airport in Gwadar is part of a wider plan by Punjabi and Chinese imperialists to turn the Baloch people into a minority in their own land,” said the BSO Azad spokesperson.
The Gwadar Airport is a key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a project that has faced widespread criticism from Baloch ‘pro-independence’ political and armed groups.
They view CPEC as exploitative, and Baloch political parties have staged protests both domestically and internationally. Armed groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), have targeted CPEC-related projects.
Since 2018, the BLA has carried out several major attacks targeting Chinese nationals and interests in Pakistan. In August 2018, a suicide bombing in Dalbandin targeted a bus carrying Chinese engineers. In November 2018, the Chinese Consulate in Karachi was attacked. In May 2019, there was a siege at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar where Chinese nationals were reportedly present.
In August 2021, a convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar, and in April 2022, a suicide attack at Karachi University targeted Chinese affiliates of the Confucius Institute. Most recently, in August 2023, an attack in Gwadar killed 13 people, including four Chinese nationals and nine Pakistani military personnel.
To safeguard the Chinese nationals, Pakistan has taken several measures, including deploying a division of the army led by a Pakistani army major general. However, attacks by Baloch armed groups persist, adversely impacting Chinese investments and projects in Balochistan.
The recent exclusion of local staff from the Gwadar International Airport training program has intensified local grievances. Critics argue that such actions not only marginalize the local population but also support claims that CPEC-related projects prioritize the interests of non-Baloch over those of the Baloch people.