Iran has handed over the Chabahar port to India on decade lease. India has promised that in the beginning they will invest 85 million dollars for the purpose. In March 2018, Gawadar a port very near to Chabahar, did her first commercial activity in international water which has attracted the desires of Chinese traders. Recently a Chinese company called China Ocean shipping company showed an interest in starting a cargo ship with a capability of five thousands containers on weekly basis. The said company is now sending seafood consignments to UAE through Gawadar port. As compared to other ports of Pakistan, Gawadar is more efficient in terms of facilities and strategic location.
Currently, several narratives are building that Gawadar and Chabahar ports are competing ports. It is because of several reasons. Firstly, Iran has handed over Chabahar port to India that is a hard rival to Pakistan in the region. Secondly, Saudi Arabia and Iran are leading two different blocks of Muslims countries and the desires of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to invest in oil rich Gawadar will definitely annoy her rival Iran. Thirdly, the China is investing a huge amount of money in CPEC in which Gawadar is a major project. Gawadar is on the doorstep of Chabahar which under the control of India. And India and China are hard economic rivals in the region.
Although above facts and figures show that Gawadar and Chabahar ports are in the hands of two competing camps, yet the reality is quite different. Iran’s economy is badly affected by the sanctions of United Nations and America. America has warned international community to cut up their trade with Iran and push her to isolation. America is closely monitoring India’s activities in Chabahar and will not allow India to benefit Iran in terms of economy. On the other side Iran has shown her interests in joining CPEC. They have said several times that Gawadar and Chabahar are two sisters ports and Iran is ready to utilize her full capabilities in terms of building roads and tracks from Chabahar to Gawadar. The president of Iran Hassan Rohani said before 71th session of general assembly that Iran is ready to join CPEC. Apart from this the ambassador of Iran while taking in Lahore said, that Iran has offered her investment of capabilities in CPEC. He further added that, in this regard Iran is ready to make roads and tracks from Chabahar to Gawadar for collective trade and commerce and make the binary ports as sister ports rather than rival ports.
Iran knows that China is the raising economic power and in a strong position to counter America in economic market. Therefore Iran’s offer of joing CPEC and making Gawadar and Chabahar as sister ports is to give support to her worst economy. Moreover the China and the America are two economic rivals. They are in competition to take over one another economy. Up course America is not happy of the progress of Chinese influence in the region and the US wants to counter it. In such a case, Iran will not let her port to be used against the interests of China or Pakistan especially when her own economy is struggling due to American aggression.
So Chabahar and Gawadar can be used as sister ports and they can complement one another, if the existing states in the region follow the principles of idealism. Through this not only the relationships between Pakistan and Iran will enhance but it will raise the living standard of life of the whole region. In this regards, role of Pakistan and Iran is very important. Iran should not allow India’s moves of restricting Pakistan in the region. On the other side Pakistan must make sure that interference of Saudi Arabia in the region is not for countering Iran’s influence. Pakistan should play a neutral and positive role between Iran and KSA.
Conclusion:
The above discuss facts and figures show that the Gawadar and Chabahar ports will cooperate one another. The two binary ports will prove herselves sister ports and will play a productive role in enhancing the relationships of Pakistan and Iran. This is because of two reasons that are, firstly economic rivalry of China and America and the factor of Iran – US tensions and the second one is the bad economic conditions of Iran.
China and America are economic rivals and they are in a constant competition in economic market. On the other side Iran has serious issues with America regarding nuclear deal. Iran and America are trying to counter one another on every front. Especially the situation became worst after the killing of very high military personal Qasim Solaimani of Iran by America in drone attack in Iraq. So in such circumstances Iran will never let her port to be used against China which otherwise will secure the interests of the USA.
The second point is that Iran is badly struggling with her economy. Iran is in top 5 list of the states which are rich in oil and gas produceing but her economic conditions are badly effected by sanctions of international community and America. India is not in position to make her relations tense with America by helping Iran in raising their economic standard nor India has such capacity because India’s economy is also declining. In such a case, the only hope for Iran is China. Therefore Iran has offered to become part of CPEC and make Gawadar and Chabahar sister ports.
In the given scenarios, it seems that in future both ports will complement one another and will add their share positively in boosting Iran – Pakistan’s ties.
Sources:
1) “Pakistan Considering to Link Gwadar with Chabahar,” Express Tribune, September 25, 2017.
2) “Transcript of RAW Agent Kulbhushan’s Confessional Statement,” Dawn, March 30, 2016
3) Michael Clarke, “China’s Strategy in ‘Greater Central Asia’: Is Afghanistan the” Asian Affairs: An American Review (2012)
4) Mateen Haider, “Chabahar not a Rival to Gwadar, Iranian Envoys Tells Pakistan,” Dawn, May27, 2016
5) Mir Sherbaz Khetran, “CPEC and Balochistan,” Pakistan Observer, July 5, 2017.
