ROAD-RAIL LINK OF GAWADAR
WITH KASHGAR WOULD TRANSFORM EURASIA
BY USMAN KHALID
Mian
Nawaz Sharif was sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan for five years on 5
June 2013. In his inaugural speech the new Prime Minister usually announces a
bold new initiative the follow up of which is often transformative. When Yousaf
Raza Gilani made his speech after being sworn in as Prime Minister in 2008, he
announced the end of incarceration of the judges of the Supreme Court confined
to their home by General Musharraf who was still the President. But the
announcement was not followed up with resumption of normal work by the judges.
The refusal to restore the judges resulted in the end of the coalition between
the PPP and PML(N). Zardari regime eventually restored the judges in response
to a “long March” by Mian Nawaz Sharif but the PPP never regained popular
support. The trajectory defined by ‘resistance’ to popular will led to dismal
defeat of the PPP in 2013 Elections.
The
Kashghar-Gwadar rail-road link is of much greater importance. It is a project
the like of which is undertaken once in a century in the world. A rail link
between China and Russia already exists and is being upgraded. The
Kashghar-Gawadar rail-road link could join the Sino-Russian link at almost its
mid point – equidistant from Moscow and Beijing. This opens three options for global
trade links:
1. With
China, Russia and Europe bypassing Central Asia.
2. With
China and Central Asia bypassing Afghanistan.
3. Up
gradation of existing links with Iran, Turkey and the Middle East thus linking
Eurasian land mass with the Middle East. .
At the
moment, political environment does not permit the opening up of Afghanistan for
building railways. Political will also does not exist for Option 3 which would
link all the ten countries of the ECO which is a compact region of Muslim
countries. But these ten states have in recent history been a part of different
colonial empires. Their present trade links developed along railway links of
the colonial era and have been the chief determinant of geo-politics of the
regions. The building of a rail-road link between China and Pakistan’s Arabian
Sea coast is something totally new with great geo-political consequence. If it
is built to world class standards and have low rail fares, it would encourage
Option 3 to be built early. The distance of Xin Kiang province from China’s
Pacific coast is longer than that from Karachi to Kashghar. Clearly the Chinese
understand the geo-strategic importance of the distance factor and the ability
to avoid sailing through long stretches of the Indian Ocean. The Russians would
also welcome shorter distances for access to the Middle East and South Asia
avoiding choke points on sea lanes through the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas.
The rail-road link between Kashghar and Gawadar would change geo-politics of
the rim land of the Indian ocean forever.
The enemies
of Pakistan would try to thwart the building of the link by increasing their
support to insurgents in Karachi, Baluchistan coast, and Kheybar Pakhtunkhawa
province. Pakistan must pre-empt those efforts and over-ensure security in the
construction phase. Already the media of Pakistan, which is the mouthpiece of
subversives having been infiltrated by the enemies of the state, is making
noises that may well grow louder. The project is too important to be left to the
whims of the media.
I
congratulate Mian Nawaz Sharif for announcing the project of such great
importance – Gwadar-Kashghar rail-road link – in his inaugural speech. It has
been proven he possess the requisite drive to accomplish great things; this would
be his biggest challenge. The patriotic overwhelming majority is right behind
him and so is the military. He can deliver and deliver fast; I am sure he will.
I pray for him and for Pakistan.++ .
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