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Its not a bad idea for Third World countries to know which First World countries are the REAL benefactors, and which are the ones who do covert harm to the country.
This is a simple matter of survival and development. Its an intuition that must come naturally.
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The UK has never undertaken any strategic projects in Pakistan, despite exercising great influence within the security establishment, the civil service, the economic elite, the political elite and even civil society. Emotionally the Pakistani elite is still attached to Bilaat saab, and Pakistan is still a member of the Commonwealth, which is a celebration of the British empire. This anomaly has not registered with the Pakistan elite.
The UK has never undertaken any strategic projects in Pakistan, despite exercising great influence within the security establishment, the civil service, the economic elite, the political elite and even civil society. Emotionally the Pakistani elite is still attached to Bilaat saab, and Pakistan is still a member of the Commonwealth, which is a celebration of the British empire. This anomaly has not registered with the Pakistan elite.
Likewise, the USA has never undertaken any strategic projects in Pakistan, despite
exercising great influence within the security establishment, the civil
service, the economic elite, the political elite and even civil society.
Emotionally the Pakistani elite is still attached to gora saab,
and Pakistan is still an active member of GWoT, a fake manufactured narrative which enables the USA empire to expand further afield under the pretext of fighting 'al-CIA-duh" and other assorted Islamists created by the USA itself. This anomaly has not registered with
the Pakistan elite.
It is true that the USA has poured maybe $80 billion of aid into Pakistan between 1950--2012(current prices) ....but most of that has been in the form of defense equipment, and other such things. The USA has not undertaken any strategic projects in Pakistan, whether building bridges, dams, roads, irrigation canals, ports, power stations, factories, mines......and so forth, all of which make a nation stronger, benefit everybody in the country not just a few, and really develop the country subsequently raising living standards.
Instead the USA aid necessarily makes the Pakistan military the defacto masters of the country, and consequently the influence with which the USA exercises with its sale of military toys, destabilizes and destroys the country into a failed state which is precisely where Pakistan is now.
This is not the case with China, which is an Asian country, and neighbor of Pakistan. The bulk of the strategic projects in Pakistan have been carried out by China, whether its license production of tanks, jet fighters, missiles, or dams, roads, bridges and ports in the case of the below article.
After such significant help often provided through credit, China does not DEMAND in return political fealty from Pakistan, nor condescend into giving misguided directions to the country's leadership, or maneuver and install corrupt Pakistanis into power.
China is ALL good for Pakistan.
It is welcomed that China will completely take over the Gwadar port area, and that responsible Pakistanis give the Chinese the concessions they require in terms of land for further development of the port. China should be allowed their own security personnel into the port area in addition.
Finally China should be allowed a military base in FATA, as has been discussed before which should house extensive surveillance equipment as well as combat planes from the PLA airforce, and drones and Ariel surveillance planes........and army personnel. 5,000--10,000.
This will be a wise decision for Pakistan, and a very very belated reward for Pakistan's best ally for 50 years.
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By TAHIR AMIN and therearenosunglasses.com
The Port Singapore Authority (PSA) has decided to leave
Gwadar Port due to non-handing over of allocated land required by the
Authority for making the port fully operational, according to Federal
Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri.
“The denial of land at Gwadar Port forced PSA to leave the port,
which will be taken over by a Chinese company,” the Federal Minister
informed the Senate Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping that met
with Sardar Fateh Mohammad Hassani in the chair here on Tuesday.
It was agreed in the MoU signed with PSA that the government would
provide the required land to make the Gwadar Port fully operational,
which was in the possession of Pakistan Navy and Coastal Guard. However,
that commitment did not materialise, which led PSA to leave the port,
said Ghauri, adding that the government had issued an NoC to PSA in this
regard, which was going to sell its shares to a Chinese company.
Hassani said that due to government’s mistakes, PSA was going to
leave the port and if corrective measures were not taken the Chinese
company could also follow suit. The Committee recommended that GPA,
Pakistan Navy, Coast Guard, Balochistan government and Planning
Commission should resolve the land issue in three weeks and report to
the committee. It further recommended that as an alternative, Pakistan
Navy should take the available 300 acres of land from government of
Balochistan and vacate 584 acres of land at Gwadar Port.
Pakistan Navy (PN) officials informed the committee that the PN was a
legal and legitimate owner of 584 acres of land at Shamba Ismail
Gwadar, which was allocated to PN against payment by the Government of
Balochistan for Defence/operational purposes. However, PN land at Shamba
Ismail was made part of Gwadar Port Development Plan without its
consent. Hence, Ministry of Ports and Shipping had been pursuing the
case for the transfer of PN land to GPA since long.
The Ministry also took up the case with Prime Minister in 2008, who
after thorough scrutiny of records, finally approved the retention of
land at Shamba Ismail by PN. However, only 30 acres of land for the
rail/road link from Gwadar Port to Free Zone/Container Freight Terminal
was to be spared by the PN. Therefore, the PN’s possession of Shamba
Ismail land has been well before Gwadar port project was launched,
according to the PN.
In lieu of the land at Shamba Ismail, the government of Balochistan
had offered two pieces of land at Pishukan and Shabi Tehsil to PN. Later
in Jan 2012, the Prime Minister constituted a committee under the
chairmanship of Chief Minister Balochistan to resolve the issue.
Subsequently, a feasibility study of both pieces of land was carried out
by the PN and land offered at North Bay of Pishukan was considered
suitable for the PN. The PN also conveyed that the size of alternate
land should be approximately 1000 acres instead of the offered 584 acres
and that the PN would retain 84 acres of land at Shamba Ismail.
As a future course of action, M/o P & S is requested to undertake
necessary action in line with PN stance on the issue. PN being the
legal owner is in the possession of the land at Shamba Ismail since 1980
and this land is essentially required by the PN for Defence/operational
purposes due to its strategic location. However, PN may consider
handing over the land to GPA in the greater national interest provided
suitable alternate land meeting all essential PN requirements was
offered, PN officials told the committee.
Chairman Gwadar Port informed the committee that the government of
Pakistan had decided in year 2002 to construct Port in Gwadar due to its
naturally sheltered location from south — westerly monsoons. The main
objectives for development of the port were trans-shipment, transit
trade, Gwadar industrial development and Gwadar city growth.
Under a Financial arrangement with the Government of China, the port
was constructed at an estimated cost of $ 287.8 million. The Chinese
government made a $ 220.26 million contribution to the project. M/s
Arthur D Little prepared a Master Plan of the Port and identified
Strategic Zones and Land Bank requirements for the next 35-50 years.
He further said that in February 2007 through a concession agreement
with PSA Gwadar Pte Limited, which is a subsidiary of PSAI, the
management, operations, maintenance and development of Gwadar port were
transferred to the concession holder for a period of 40 years under the
‘Landlord’ concept. GPA’s share in Gross Income was calculated as
follows: PSA Gwadar International Terminal Limited 9%; Gwadar Marine
Service Limited 9% and Gwadar Free Zone Company Limited 15 %.
The chairman said that after taking the possession of Port as a
concession holder, the PSA installed two Gantry cranes, 200 meter of
single rails and one Sub-Station. In accordance with Schedule-5 of the
Concession agreement, the PSA was bound to invest US$ 775 million for
the development of port, which did not materialize, he added.
The construction of East Bay Expressway on East Bay of existing
Gwadar City had been proposed to link the Gwadar Port with existing
Makran Coastal Highway, he said and added that the Port, at present, was
connected to Coastal Highway through existing city road due to which
city population as well as Port cargo traffic faced huge problems.
According to him, the existing city road is designed only for city
traffic and it is unable to be used for heavy port traffic.
During the
Port Operations the road is totally congested with the traffic and there
is high risk of accidents due to low capacity of the road for bearing
the heavy port traffic. There are also observations of the city
government as well as existing population of the city for the shifting
of heavy port traffic to some other places. Due to prevailing law and
order situation in the country as a whole and especially in Balochistan,
the existing road is insecure for port traffic.
The 584 acres of land allotted to Pakistan Navy at Shamb-e-¬Ismail
Gwadar is to be transferred to GPA. The Prime Minister has constituted a
committee headed by the Chief Minister of Balochistan, which held a
meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Balochistan in March
2010 to resolve the issue. Pakistan Navy consented to vacate the 584
acres of land at Shamb-e-Ismail Gwadar, and requested for an alternate
piece of land at Pishukan having an adequate sea frontage.
In this regard, the last meeting was held in April 16, 2012 at Gwadar
chaired by the Commissioner Makran Division. Both parties agreed that
584 acre of land at East Bay Gwadar allotted to Pakistan Navy would be
transferred to GPA and in lieu thereof around 1000 acres of land, both
government and private, will be allotted to Pakistan Navy at Pishukan as
identified by the concerned naval authorities.
The revenue authorities the Gwadar have indicated the price of land
to be around Rs 744 million, which would be required to be paid by GPA
in this respect, the chairman informed the committee.
