- Despite its completion in October 2024 and a hefty $240 million investment fully financed by China, the New Gwadar International Airport is yet to see passengers, flights, or even a clear operational timeline.
- While authorities tout CPEC as a transformative economic lifeline, in reality, Gwadar remains disconnected from the national electricity grid, relying instead on imports from Iran and localized solar solutions.
- Balochistan’s ethnic minority lament systemic discrimination and exclusion from national opportunities, accusations the Pakistani government routinely dismisses.
- To safeguard China’s strategic investments, Islamabad has significantly expanded its military presence in Gwadar, transforming the city into a maze of checkpoints, barbed-wire barriers, and watchtowers.
Pakistan’s most recent and costliest aviation endeavour, the New Gwadar International Airport, remains shrouded in mystery. Despite its completion in October 2024 and a hefty $240 million investment fully financed by China, it is yet to see passengers, flights, or even a clear operational timeline. Situated in the coastal city of Gwadar, the airport stands in stark contrast to its surroundings, Balochistan, one of Pakistan’s most impoverished and volatile provinces.
For over a decade, China has funnelled substantial financial resources into Gwadar and Balochistan under the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar initiative designed to link China’s Xinjiang province with the strategic Arabian Sea. While authorities tout CPEC as a transformative economic lifeline, the reality in Gwadar suggests otherwise. The city remains disconnected from the national electricity grid, relying instead on imports from Iran and localized solar solutions. Basic amenities such as clean drinking water remain scarce, yet the construction of an airport with an annual capacity of 400,000 passengers raises eyebrows among Gwadar’s 90,000 residents.
“This airport isn’t for Pakistan or Gwadar,” remarks Azeem Khalid, a scholar specializing in Pakistan-China relations. “It is for China, ensuring its citizens secure access to Gwadar and the broader Balochistan region.”
An Economic Corridor or a Conflict Catalyst?
The advent of CPEC has exacerbated long-standing tensions in Balochistan, a province rich in natural resources yet plagued by a decades-long insurgency. Ethnic Baloch separatists, embittered by what they perceive as state exploitation and marginalization, have intensified their struggle for independence, targeting both Pakistani security forces and Chinese personnel operating in the region.
Members of Balochistan’s ethnic minority lament systemic discrimination and exclusion from national opportunities, accusations the Pakistani government routinely dismisses. However, to safeguard China’s strategic investments, Islamabad has significantly expanded its military presence in Gwadar, transforming the city into a maze of checkpoints, barbed-wire barriers, and watchtowers. Roads frequently shut down, sometimes for days at a time to facilitate the secure passage of Chinese workers and Pakistani VIPs.
Journalists seeking to report from Gwadar find themselves under strict surveillance, with certain areas, including the local fish market, being deemed too sensitive for media coverage. Residents, once accustomed to unrestricted movement, now face constant scrutiny. “Nobody used to question our whereabouts or identities,” recalls 76-year-old Gwadar native Khuda Bakhsh Hashim. “We could enjoy all-night picnics in the mountains. Now, we’re interrogated at every turn.”
Hashim reminisces about a bygone era when Gwadar was part of Oman, a bustling maritime hub with direct passenger routes to Mumbai. Back then, food security and employment were not pressing concerns. But today, prolonged droughts and unchecked resource exploitation have depleted Gwadar’s water reserves, while economic opportunities remain elusive.
Although the government claims CPEC has generated approximately 2,000 jobs, the ambiguity surrounding the definition of “local employment” leaves Baloch residents sceptical—is it a reference to Baloch workers or outsiders relocating from other parts of Pakistan?
Gwadar’s People: Strangers in Their Own Land
Despite its challenges, Gwadar retains an innate charm from its vibrant seafood markets to its pristine beaches, frequented by visitors during public holidays. However, the perception of Gwadar as a volatile, militarized zone deters mainstream tourism and commerce. Air connectivity remains woefully inadequate, with only one domestic airline operating thrice weekly flights to Karachi, Pakistan’s financial hub. No direct flights connect Gwadar to Quetta, Balochistan’s provincial capital, or Islamabad, the country’s seat of power. Even the scenic coastal highway leading to Gwadar is dotted with security concerns and lacks essential infrastructure.
The province’s deep-rooted insurgency, which erupted five decades ago, has led to thousands of enforced disappearances. Human rights organizations and activists allege widespread torture and extrajudicial abductions, accusations the government vehemently denies.
Yet, amid the tension, voices like Khuda Bakhsh Hashim’s echo a desire for stability. “We want CPEC to succeed, so our youth have jobs, hope, and purpose,” he says. “When people have food on their plates, they don’t turn to violence.”
Security Concerns Stall the Airport’s Grand Opening
The inauguration of New Gwadar International Airport faced multiple delays due to security apprehensions. Military officials feared that the mountainous terrain surrounding the airport could serve as a launch site for militant attacks. Consequently, instead of a grand public ceremony, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang opted for a virtual inauguration. The first flight to the airport took place behind closed doors, barred from public and media access.
Further fueling discontent, Abdul Ghafoor Hoth, district president of the Balochistan Awami Party, disclosed that not a single Gwadar resident was employed at the airport— “not even as a watchman.” “Forget the airport,” he adds. “How many Baloch workers are truly employed at Gwadar Port, the supposed crown jewel of CPEC?”
In December, Hoth spearheaded 47 days of continuous protests over the city’s dire living conditions. The demonstrations ceased only after authorities pledged to improve access to electricity and water. Yet, months later, these promises remain unfulfilled.
A Corridor Without a Community?
Experts argue that unless CPEC integrates local labour, businesses, and services, its economic benefits will never trickle down to the Baloch people. Instead of fostering prosperity, China’s growing footprint in Gwadar has ushered in a heavy-handed security apparatus, deepening local mistrust.
“The Pakistani government refuses to empower Baloch communities, and in turn, the Baloch refuse to accept Islamabad’s authority,” observes Khalid, the international relations expert. “This cycle of exclusion and resistance is what fuels the insurgency.”
As Pakistan and China push ahead with CPEC’s grand vision, the question remains: Can economic corridors truly succeed when the people they run through feel excluded? Without trust, inclusion, and local participation, Gwadar’s gleaming airport may remain a monument to ambition, but a failure in execution.
Diksha Bharti is currently pursuing a Master’s program in Russian studies. She has previously worked as a Research Associate at Politika and the Consilium Research Institute. She has a keen interest in geopolitics and has contributed to several reputed platforms. Views expressed are the author’s own.
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