Pakistan and China are reportedly at loggerheads over control and ownership of the Gwadar port, and Islamabad says the port, built with substantial Chinese investment, belongs exclusively to Pakistan.

Gwadar Port: Staunch allies Pakistan and China are reportedly at loggerheads with Islamabad over control and ownership of the Gwadar port, saying the port, built with substantial Chinese investment, belongs entirely to Pakistan and is owned by a “foreigner”. Institution” will not be handed over. .

“Gwadar port is a commercial port developed with the help of the Chinese government. Pakistan is not handing over Gwadar port or any other place to any foreign entity,” said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson of Pakistan’s foreign ministry.

The development comes days after the inauguration of the New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA), which was reportedly postponed for the third time due to ongoing security concerns in the region. The airport, a key part of the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), originally scheduled to start operations on January 1, 2025, will now remain closed indefinitely, Balochistan Post reported.

Pakistan demands second strike capability.

Meanwhile, experts believe that the Gwadar port standoff could be a ploy by Pakistan to blackmail China and build better relations with the US by denying Beijing Gwadar under incoming President Donald Trump. is trying

According to Pakistani media reports, a high-level meeting was recently held between top government and military officials of Pakistan and China to discuss and discuss the future use of Gwadar port. Reports said Islamabad demanded Beijing arm Pakistan with a second-strike nuclear capability if China wanted to build a military base in Gwadar.

However, this threatening tone reportedly did not go down well with Beijing, which rejected Pakistan’s demand outright and decided to indefinitely postpone future talks due to Islamabad’s shocking audacity. What did

The breakdown of diplomatic and military talks with China does not bode well for Pakistan as the cash-strapped country relies heavily on Beijing’s economic relief packages. Moreover, China has been a long-time savior of Pakistan’s armed forces, supplying it with most of its weapons.