The opening date for the New Gwadar International Airport, entirely financed by China with $240 million, remains unknown. Located in the coastal city of Gwadar in Pakistan, the airport is planned to be completed by October 2025, but it stands in stark contrast to the impoverished and volatile southwestern Balochistan province surrounding it.
Part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
For the past decade, China has made significant investments in Balochistan and Gwadar as part of the multi-billion-dollar project called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which connects China’s western Xinjiang province to the Arabian Sea. While officials describe this project as transformative, there is little evidence of change in Gwadar. The city still lacks a connection to the national grid; electricity is sourced from neighbouring Iran or solar panels, and there is inadequate access to clean water. A 400,000-passenger capacity airport for Gwadar, with a population of 90,000, is not seen as a priority need.
Is the Airport for China?
Azim Halid, an expert on Pakistan-China relations, told the Associated Press, “This airport is not for Pakistan or Gwadar; it is for China. It is being built to provide secure access for its citizens to Gwadar and Balochistan.”
CPEC Brings Militants and the Military into Conflict
CPEC has sparked a decades-long insurgency in resource-rich and strategically important Balochistan. Separatists, claiming the state exploits the local population, are fighting for independence and targeting both Pakistani soldiers and Chinese workers in the region. Pakistan’s ethnic Baloch minority argues that they are being discriminated against by the government and deprived of opportunities available in other regions of the country. The government denies these accusations.
To protect China’s investments, Pakistan has increased its military presence in Gwadar to suppress opposition. The city is surrounded by checkpoints, barbed wire, soldiers, barricades, and watchtowers. Roads are closed on certain days to allow safe passage for Chinese workers and Pakistani VIPs. Intelligence agents closely monitor journalists arriving in Gwadar, and even the local fish market is considered too sensitive for news coverage.
Local Population Is Not Benefiting from Investments
The government claims that CPEC has created up to 2,000 local jobs, though the definition of “local” remains unclear. It is uncertain whether Baloch people or Pakistanis from other regions have been hired. The people of Gwadar report that they are gaining little benefit from China’s presence.
Security Concerns Delay the Opening
According to the Pakistan Institute of Conflict and Security Studies, militant attacks in Balochistan decreased after the 2014 anti-government uprising, but have been rising again since 2021. Militant groups, especially the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, have strengthened since the Pakistan Taliban ended a ceasefire with the government in November 2022.
Security concerns in the region have delayed the opening of the international airport. There are fears that the nearby mountains could serve as an ideal launch point for an attack. Instead, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang held a virtual inauguration ceremony. The inaugural flight was conducted in a closed session, with media and the public excluded.
