Three Ports Under China's Gaze

Abstract

The Baluch and their lands hold the key to the prosperity of the land locked Central Asian Region and Afghanistan. The British had divided Baluchistan into three parts with Goldsmid Line and Durand Line in 1890s. The parts were allocated to Persia, British India, and Afghanistan. Iran annexed Western Baluchistan in 1928 and Pakistan annexed British India portion in 1948. The Baluch, therefore, are aggrieved and demand independence. The Baluchistan of yore (Baluch Lands), had Afghanistan & Iranian provinces of Khorasan and Kerman in the North, the Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean in the South, Punjab & Indus River in the East, and the Strait of Hormuz & the Gulf of Oman in the West. Today it would have had direct access to the Strait of Hormuz and sit atop the busiest of SLOCs carrying 40%of world oil. Baluch lands have large untapped reserves of natural resources like uranium, silver, oil, and gas.It provides land, air, and sea connectivity to South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. It provides a very economical trade link for land locked Afghanistan and Central Asian Region. If united, Baluchistan would have an EEZ of 200 nm along its 1000-mile coastline.