China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is once again targeted by propagandists and this time the rumour mongering is about Gwadar Airport

China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is once again targeted  by propagandists and this time the rumour mongering is about Gwadar Airport inaugurated on 20 January 2025 in the port city of Balochistan, Pakistan. The stark difference between fact and fiction can be easily ascertained through evidenced based data.

Mr. Najam Sethi, famous TV anchor, has stated on Samaa TV that “There are no passengers, no planes, no benefits. Gawadar airport is a bit of a mystery. Not one flight is going there. No international flight is going to Gwadar while 250 million dollars have been spent in vain by China through CPEC. Also, ABC News Australia, in its program reporting about Gwadar Airport stated that “while the officials sing praises, the locals are unhappy because the Gwadar Airport is non functional and only has a flight some times!!!” Mr. Abdul Ghafoor Hoth, member Balochistan Awami Party, opined on the program that “No natives have been given even a clerical job at the airport leading to a sense of deprivation amongst the local population.”

The alarm bells are ringing in India because they do not want a Chinese operated military installation on Gwadar port

Adnan Amir, a journalist, while being interviewed by Nikkei Asia, stated that “Gwadar is a Belt and Road project and it was hoped that eventually, it will become a hub like Dubai. But due to internal governance problems like lack of security for Chinese personel working on the project, nonavailability of clean drinking water and especially the lack of electricity which is either generated through solar panels or supplied by Iran to the Gwadar city the project is in shambles.

Since on the Gwadar airport, electricity also shuts down, whenever Iran stops electricity supply whenever there is a security related problem like Baloch militants attack on Chinese professionals. Furthermore, he added that “It is also rumoured that China wants to bring their own security personnel to protect the Chinese working on the CPEC but Pakistan is not allowing it.” Additionally, he mentioned that “The alarm bells are ringing in India because they do not want a Chinese operated military installation on Gwadar port.”

In the last 40 days, the total number of domestic as well as international passengers that travelled to or from Gwadar airport is 1,537

However, the data provided by New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) Operations office, tells another story. During the last 40 days of its operations, the total number of flights is 42. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, a domestic flight takes place. From Gwadar to Karachi, 14 flights took place with 542 passengers. On the international route from Gwadar to Muscat, 7 flights took place which had 299 passengers on board. From Karachi to Gwadar, there were 14 flights with 493 passengers in total and from Muscat to Gwadar, 7 flights, with 203 passengers on board took off. Therefore, in the last 40 days, the total number of domestic as well as international passengers that travelled to or from Gwadar airport is 1,537.

Pakistan is constantly fire-fighting onslaughts on its sovereignty and facing obstacles while implementing CPEC projects

Therefore, the sudden mushrooming of propaganda news-items sprouting very conveniently to sabotage Gwadar Airport’s reputation, a CPEC project, just goes to show how Pakistan is constantly fighting off onslaughts on its sovereignty and facing obstacles while implementing CPEC projects.