In recent weeks, there has been a lot of concerns expressed by people from various sections of society over the fencing of the port city. Some of the concerns were genuine while others were formed based on misinformation/disinformation. For political point-scoring, some politicians have unfortunately decided to politicize the issue. It is, therefore, necessary to have a clear picture of why Gwadar city is being fenced and that is why I have decided to author this piece.
Currently, there are four entry points of the port city. The current fencing arrangement is being carried to cover the open, unpopulated areas of the city. These areas are those which will be the main hub of development works in the near future. We should remain cognizant of the ground realities. Our eastern neighbor openly opposes the CPEC. Hostile foreign intelligence agencies have been planning to ensure the failure of the mega project. Therefore, it seems feasible to at least fence the open, unpopulated areas of the city.
The fencing of Gwadar city is part of Gwadar Safe City, which is a component of Gwadar Master Plan. It was approved by Gwadar Development Authority’s Governing Board. The Gwadar Safe City is a joint project of both federal and provincial government. 50% of the project’s funding is provided by the federal government whereas the remaining 50% is provided by the Balochistan government. The director of this project is Commissioner of Makran Division whereas DIG Makran Division is the deputy director of the project. After implementing temporary fencing arrangements, there will be a total of 19 entry points – eight entry points (two major and six minor) will be for vehicular movement whereas 11 entry points (operational gates) will be for those on foot wanting to enter the port city.
It is important to note that the fencing arrangement is temporary. A wrong perception is being created that fencing will be obstructing the freedom of movement and in a way violate Article 15 of the constitution. The temporary fencing arrangement is being carried out on the open, unpopulated areas of the city because it is not feasible to create checkpoints everywhere.
The fencing of the city will allow gradual removal of checkpoints created within the city for internal security purposes. With the passage of time, these checkpoints will eventually be positioned at the entry points of the city. Consequently, it will have a positive impact on the socio-economic situation of the city. Majority of the local people are associated with the fishing sector. The temporarily fencing arrangement will not bring any change in their commuting time to sea for fishing activities. However, a gradual reduction of intra-city checkpoints will further ease movement for the local people as well. Moreover, the completion of fencing project will allow to begin the process of deweaponisation in the city.
A wrong perception is being created that the primary reason for fencing the city is to protect foreign investors. It is not only to protect foreigners but local people as well. In the recent past, several terror attacks have been carried out in and around Gwadar. Therefore, the idea is to transform the port city into one large gated community with several entry points. The fencing project is being carried out solely for the safety of locals and foreigners and does not intend to obstruct the freedom of movement or disturb daily commuting. With Gwadar becoming a large gated city, foreign investors will prefer to invest in the port city without any security fears. The investments will eventually help in a socio-economic uplift of the local populace.
Balochistan High Court has also made its judgment that the Balochistan Assembly is the best forum to discuss the fencing issue. On the instructions of Chief Minister Jam Kamal, the Balochistan government has suspended the work on fencing for now. Meanwhile, Balochistan Assembly has constituted a committee on Gwadar fencing issue.
In the end, I would like to once again reiterate that the current fencing arrangement is temporary. The fencing will be carried out to cover open, unpopulated areas of the city which will remain the main points of development for the next 5-10 years. With the passage of time and development works, the fencing will eventually move to the outskirts of the city.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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