The Growing Significance of Two Ports Of Balochistan (Gwadar and Chabahar)

Two deep-sea water warm ports situated roughly 70 kms away from each other on the gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea, are in news for various reasons in last few months. First, the Gwadar port in Baluchistan province of Pakistan built with Chinese assistance in the year 2002 and the other one is Chabahar port situated in Iranian Sistan-o-Balochistan province partially built with Indian assistance in the same year. The two rival ports are in the news for the involvement of two regional heavyweights of Asia, China and India respectively. Recently Pakistan has handed over the management of the Gwadar port to China Overseas Port Holding Company after a brief squabbled stint with Port of Singapore authority, the original manger of the port since 2007. Seeing this development, India pitched in and offered Iran $100 million aid to further develop the Chabahar port in the 4 May  visit of the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. http://www.radianceweekly.com/366/10882/ib-role-in-encounters-exposed-union-home-ministry-in-a-dilemma-wants-to-play-dove/2013-07-07/foreign-affairs/story-detail/the-growing-significance-of-two-ports---gwadar-and-chabahar.html