Strategic significance of Baluchistan

Pakistani people and the federal government have yet to comprehend the strategic importance of Balochistan. The province commands 900 miles of Arabian Sea coastline, including the northern shores of the Strait of Hormuz, through which oil tankers bound for the West and Japan must pass. The strategic location of Gwadar port commands the vital sea-lanes and could connect Afghanistan, Central Asia and Western China with the Persian Gulf. The geography of Balochistan has been focus of the players of international powers since long. Global vested interest see the development of the Gwadar port with Chinese financial, technical and manpower assistance, as providing China access to the Indian Ocean at a critically strategic location. Pakistan should be extremely cautious to ensure that Balochistan does not slip into the vortex of international politics. If the prevailing turmoil there spins out of control the consequences could be too disastrous to imagine.