The great power game

China’s initiative to build Gwadar port has alerted all those powers whose interests in the region are likely to be threatened. This project could affect the economic, trade and strategic interests of some regional powers besides the vested interests of certain tribal chieftains Instability is being created intentionally in Balochistan. A massive volume of arms anti ammunitions is being smuggled from Afghanistan the money value of which comes to roughly half a million rupees. The available indicators prove that all these subversive activities are linked to Gwadar. Its strategic importance has been multiplied because of US presence in the region, both in the Gulf and Central Asia. To suddenly have a port close to the main US overseas bases in the Gulf to which China will also have access is unacceptable to the US which probably plans containment and encirclement of China as a long term strategic objective. There is also the issue of energy security and US efforts to keep control of energy resources in Muslim states. India is investing heavily in Central Asia’s energy resources. Both US and India feel that the oil and gas pipeline projects passing through Pakistan, which will also meet Chinese energy needs, are no acceptable to them.

However, more important for the US is to isolate Iran within the region along with its opposition on the nuclear issue. It is just not a coincidence that as belligerency against Iraq has increased, the acts of sabotage in Balochistan have also gone up in intensity. There s much wider context to what is happening in Balochistan. This is linked to US efforts to redraw map of the Muslim world in the Middle East and West Asia which is now being referred to as the broader Middle East. Targeting Iran also includes creation of greater Balochistan. Pakistan must recognize the internal as well as external forces interested in keeping I3alochistan destabilized.