India once rejected this Balochistan port. China controls it today
Gwadar port in Pakistan's Balochistan is at the centre of unrest, geopolitics and Chinese influence. Once ruled by Oman and later offered to India, this strategic coastal town is now operated by China for decades, raising questions about sovereignty, local anger and South Asia's missed geopolitical turns.
Pakistan’s Balochistan province has once again grabbed attention after fresh attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the launch of military operations by the Pakistan Army. At the heart of the unrest lies a long-standing grievance: the belief among many Baloch groups that their land is controlled not by Islamabad, but by external powers, especially China.
While Balochistan is officially part of Pakistan, critics argue that decision-making in key areas increasingly follows Chinese interests. Nowhere is this perception stronger than in Gwadar, a coastal town that has become the symbol of both economic ambition and political alienation.
GWADAR: FROM FISHING TOWN TO GEOPOLITICAL HOTSPOT
Gwadar was once a quiet settlement of fishermen and traders on the Arabian Sea. Shaped like a hammerhead peninsula, it remained largely unnoticed for centuries. Today, it hosts Pakistan’s third-largest port and a crucial node in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
In 2017, Pakistan handed over the operation of Gwadar Port to the China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) on a 40-year lease. The Chinese firm controls port operations, development work and revenue management. According to reports, 91% of port revenues go to the Chinese operator, while Pakistan receives just 9%.
This arrangement has fuelled anger among local Baloch communities, who argue that they see little benefit from development projects on their own land.
WHY CHINESE CONTROL FUELS BALOCH ANGER
Baloch resistance is not new — it has existed since Pakistan’s formation. However, resentment intensified after Gwadar became a Chinese-operated port. Locals complain of land acquisition, limited employment opportunities, environmental damage, and heavy security presence.
For many Baloch groups, Gwadar represents a loss of control over their resources. Attacks by the BLA have increasingly targeted infrastructure linked to Chinese interests, making the port a flashpoint for both insurgency and international concern.
GWADAR WAS NEVER ALWAYS PAKISTANI
What makes Gwadar unique is its unusual political history. Unlike most of Balochistan, Gwadar did not immediately become part of Pakistan after independence.
From 1783, Gwadar remained under the control of the Sultanate of Oman for nearly 200 years. The territory was gifted to the Sultan of Muscat by Mir Noori Naseer Khan Baloch, the Khan of Kalat. Even as the rest of Balochistan moved towards Pakistan in 1948, Gwadar stayed under Omani rule.
HOW PAKISTAN ACQUIRED GWADAR
After independence, Pakistan was keen to acquire Gwadar due to its strategic coastline. However, the coastal strip known as Makran, including Gwadar, remained outside Pakistani control until the late 1950s.
In 1958, negotiations intensified. On August 1, 1958, Gwadar was transferred from Oman to British control, and shortly afterwards handed over to Pakistan. On August 8, 1958, the Pakistani flag was hoisted in Gwadar by a Pakistan Navy platoon led by Lieutenant Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohi, who later became Chief of Naval Staff.
The deal reportedly cost Pakistan £3 million, paid to Oman.
THE DEAL THAT COULD HAVE CHANGED SOUTH ASIA
What remains one of the most striking footnotes in South Asian history is that Gwadar was once offered to India.
According to experts, the Sultan of Oman offered Gwadar to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru around 1956. Had India accepted the offer, the strategic map of the Arabian Sea -- and India–Pakistan relations -- could have looked very different.
India declined. Two years later, Gwadar became Pakistani territory.
WHY GWADAR MATTERS TODAY
Gwadar’s location near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, gives it immense strategic value. For China, it offers access to the Arabian Sea and reduces dependence on longer maritime routes. For Pakistan, it represents economic promise — but also political vulnerability.
As violence escalates in Balochistan, Gwadar stands at the crossroads of local resistance, national sovereignty, and global power politics.
Pakistan’s Balochistan province has once again grabbed attention after fresh attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the launch of military operations by the Pakistan Army. At the heart of the unrest lies a long-standing grievance: the belief among many Baloch groups that their land is controlled not by Islamabad, but by external powers, especially China.
While Balochistan is officially part of Pakistan, critics argue that decision-making in key areas increasingly follows Chinese interests. Nowhere is this perception stronger than in Gwadar, a coastal town that has become the symbol of both economic ambition and political alienation.
GWADAR: FROM FISHING TOWN TO GEOPOLITICAL HOTSPOT
Gwadar was once a quiet settlement of fishermen and traders on the Arabian Sea. Shaped like a hammerhead peninsula, it remained largely unnoticed for centuries. Today, it hosts Pakistan’s third-largest port and a crucial node in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
In 2017, Pakistan handed over the operation of Gwadar Port to the China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) on a 40-year lease. The Chinese firm controls port operations, development work and revenue management. According to reports, 91% of port revenues go to the Chinese operator, while Pakistan receives just 9%.
This arrangement has fuelled anger among local Baloch communities, who argue that they see little benefit from development projects on their own land.
WHY CHINESE CONTROL FUELS BALOCH ANGER
Baloch resistance is not new — it has existed since Pakistan’s formation. However, resentment intensified after Gwadar became a Chinese-operated port. Locals complain of land acquisition, limited employment opportunities, environmental damage, and heavy security presence.
For many Baloch groups, Gwadar represents a loss of control over their resources. Attacks by the BLA have increasingly targeted infrastructure linked to Chinese interests, making the port a flashpoint for both insurgency and international concern.
GWADAR WAS NEVER ALWAYS PAKISTANI
What makes Gwadar unique is its unusual political history. Unlike most of Balochistan, Gwadar did not immediately become part of Pakistan after independence.
From 1783, Gwadar remained under the control of the Sultanate of Oman for nearly 200 years. The territory was gifted to the Sultan of Muscat by Mir Noori Naseer Khan Baloch, the Khan of Kalat. Even as the rest of Balochistan moved towards Pakistan in 1948, Gwadar stayed under Omani rule.
HOW PAKISTAN ACQUIRED GWADAR
After independence, Pakistan was keen to acquire Gwadar due to its strategic coastline. However, the coastal strip known as Makran, including Gwadar, remained outside Pakistani control until the late 1950s.
In 1958, negotiations intensified. On August 1, 1958, Gwadar was transferred from Oman to British control, and shortly afterwards handed over to Pakistan. On August 8, 1958, the Pakistani flag was hoisted in Gwadar by a Pakistan Navy platoon led by Lieutenant Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohi, who later became Chief of Naval Staff.
The deal reportedly cost Pakistan £3 million, paid to Oman.
THE DEAL THAT COULD HAVE CHANGED SOUTH ASIA
What remains one of the most striking footnotes in South Asian history is that Gwadar was once offered to India.
According to experts, the Sultan of Oman offered Gwadar to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru around 1956. Had India accepted the offer, the strategic map of the Arabian Sea -- and India–Pakistan relations -- could have looked very different.
India declined. Two years later, Gwadar became Pakistani territory.
WHY GWADAR MATTERS TODAY
Gwadar’s location near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, gives it immense strategic value. For China, it offers access to the Arabian Sea and reduces dependence on longer maritime routes. For Pakistan, it represents economic promise — but also political vulnerability.
As violence escalates in Balochistan, Gwadar stands at the crossroads of local resistance, national sovereignty, and global power politics.