The inauguration of the New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) in Balochistan, originally scheduled for August 14, Pakistan’s “Independence Day,” has been postponed due to security concerns, according to sources from the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was expected to oversee the launch, with a special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Karachi planned as the first to land at the new airport. Pakistani media reports had indicated that all preparations for the launch were complete.
The New Gwadar International Airport, a key project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is designed to accommodate large aircraft, including the ATR 72, Airbus A300, Boeing 737, and Boeing 747, for both domestic and international flights. The airport, located 26 kilometers northeast of the existing Gwadar airport, was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 54.98 billion (approximately $240 million).
The decision to postpone the inauguration was reportedly due to the security situation in Balochistan, where recent attacks have escalated significantly around Pakistan’s national day celebrations.
Additionally, analysts argue that the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade, known for its high-profile attacks targeting CPEC projects and Chinese nationals, is considered a significant factor in the security assessment given the ongoing situation in Balochistan.
The BLA’s “self-sacrificing” unit has been responsible for a series of major attacks, including the 2018 suicide bombing on a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Dalbandin, the attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi the same year, and the 2019 assault on a luxury hotel in Gwadar.
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. In August 2023, an attack in Gwadar killed 13 people, including four Chinese nationals and nine Pakistani military personnel. Earlier this year, the BLA’s Majeed Brigade also attacked the intelligence offices of the ISI and MI at the Gwadar Port Complex.
Moreover, the situation in Gwadar has been further strained due to the crackdown on participants of the “Baloch Raaji Muchi,” which has heightened tensions between Pakistani authorities and the local Baloch.