World’s economic activities are expending due globalization and sea sea politics is getting importance. About 80 percent of world economic activities are occurred through sea routes. The sea has also considered as a vital mean of supremacy and dominance over the nations. According to famous Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato an ideal state is that which lies near sea. They urged this because of trade and economics purposes. This shows the vital role of warm water sea port. In modern world, due to the elements of globalization and interdependence world has become a global village and a state can do her economic activities throughout the world in any sea and region.
The south Asian region has great importance because it is located in a region where major world’s sea trade passes. There are two main sea ports call Gawadar and Chabahar. Chabahar is located in Iran while Gawadar comes in territory of Pakistan. The nature of capitalist is urging that both ports are competitive ports that are opposing each other. But, both Pakistan and Iran are denying such kind of competition. Both States are of the openion that both ports are in cooperation and in future they will complement each other. The element of cooperation or competition in Gawadar and Chabahar will be detail studied in this research paper.
This research paper will uncover the economic aspects of Gawadar and Chabahar sea port. The said research paper will also discuss the geo politics of south Asia along with plains of two economic rivals, America and China for the region. It will further disclose the nature of Gawadar and Chabahar ports and will discuss that either both are competing or complementing each other. The research paper will give detail comparison between Gawadar and Chabahar sea ports. Moreover It will be based on detailed elaboration of the key players involve in the said sea ports.
Introduction:
The ports always provide a healthy platform for the engagement of regional powers in term of business, cooperation, innovation and trade activities. Infrastructural progress of ports is not only known as cardinal contributor in regulating economic growth of a country , but it also work in the field of employment of generation of a state and its connectivity with regional and extra regional states in term of trade. The standard of living and infrastructure of a region raises through economic activities and ports are one of the main actors that play their role in these economic activities. The world has witnessed the role of sea ports in making connection of the regional countries and in enhancement of business among them. There are a numbers of ports on different seas which engage countries of various regions and work as bridges in the field of economics. In this regard Gawadar and Chabahar are two ports that are located in Pakistan and Iran respectively.
Port of Gwadar is located on the bank of the Arabian Sea in the city of Gwadar, located in the Baluchistan which is Pakistani Provence. The port is at a distance of 533 km from Pakistan’s economic hub and largest city, Karachi. Gawadar is located estimatly 120 km away from the Iran and 380 km (240 mi) away from Oman, and near to key oil shipping lanes from the Persian Gulf. Two third of activities regarding oil business occur in this region. It is situated at the centre of three regions that are, central Asia, south Asia and middle east. It is about 75 km away from Iranian port Chahbahar. It is also lies on a strategic spot at the junction of the „Arabian Sea‟ and the „Gulf of Oman‟. Its importance is figured out of its proximity to a strategically important Strait of Hormuz that is an important sea route to oil rich states.
Gawadar port is being made by China under the project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is being converted into world largest spot in term of transit and transhipment cargo facilities. The Gawadar is linked with Chinese city of Kashghar through Korakoram that have distance of almost 2000 km. 60% of energy needs of China is fulfilled from gulf oil. The previously used route was very lengthy and costly to China as compared to this route. The old path of oil import of China is much time and resources consuming. It is 16000 km and almost takes 3 months for ships to arrive at the port of chinghai through Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Chabahar port is owned by Iran, lies on the Makran coast of Sistan and Baluchistan Province, next to the Gulf of Oman and at the verge of Strait of Hormuz. Chabahar is the only Iranian port that is directly connected to the Indian Ocean. The said port is called the golden gate to states of central Asia and Afghanistan because it is located close to these land locked states. Chabahar is situated 700 km away from Zahedan. It is at a distance 950 km from Milak, the nearest city to the border of Afghanistan, and 1,827 km away from Sarakhs on the Turkmen border. The distance in the sea from Chabahar port to dubai is 654 km. From Karachi it is 845 km. The port that is established by collaboration China and Pakistan, Gawadar is also located in the region at a distance of 76 miles from Chabahar.
Iran is trying to develop the Chabahar port , a zone for free trade , rail and road links from Chabahar to central Asia. The intentions are to make Chabahar port a gate way to Bandar Abbas port , which is an economic centre for China and Russia and handles 85 percent trade. Currently the Bander Abbas port is not a deep water port. It can’t manage heavy cargo ships. On contrary, as compare to Bandar Abbas port, Chabahar port can handle such a huge weight ships, that why Iran is trying to establish the said port for deep water trade.
In Chabahar, There is a combine aim of Iran and India , to make Indian access possible to the Afghanistan and to the resources of Iran and central Asian states. The major routes in this regard are Malik of Iran and Zarang-Dilaram of Afghanistan. India spent a huge amount of money in this regard in Afghanistan on these routes. The aims of these routes are to make a connection with central Asian states and Middle East.
The binary ports are situated at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz where 17 billion (estimated) barrels oil transports every day. Apart this, these ports lies at the cross junction of International Sea Communication Line and oil trade route. The three major regions of Asia – Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East are connected with each other’s by these ports. The regional trade will be enhanced if these two ports become operational and work in cooperation with one another in term of trade activities.
