Saudi's oil refinery in Gwadar threatens Iran, China

Agencies
October 9, 2018

Hong Kong, Oct 9: Pakistan's latest announcement about Saudi Arabia's investment in an oil refinery at the port city of Gwadar has set alarm bells ringing in the international arena.

A Zerohedge article claims that Pakistan's move comes from a "desperate" need for funding to ward off a financial crisis stoked by growing debt to China.

The column, written by James Dorsey on Mid East Soccer blog, claims that Saudi's oil refinery in Gwadar Port could threaten Iran's India-backed Chabahar Port, making China(and Pakistan) a part of an "all but open war" between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis may invest up to USD 10 billion dollars in the region. The deal could additionally involve deferred payments on Saudi oil supplies which will firstly, create a strategic oil reserve close to Iran, and secondly, help cash-strapped Pakistan in payments.

The Zerohedge article further stated that Pakistan will be forced to seek a USD 12 billion bailout from International Monetary Fund (IMF) if government expenditure is not brought under control -- a fact that Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan has taken note of.

Islamabad's first step to curb the spending spree came in September, as funds for road projects, which are a part of CPEC's Western route that connects Balochistan with China's troubled region of Xinjiang, were not sanctioned in time. The very same road project was already grappling with delays in approval from China, with Pakistan's move bringing progress to a standstill.

Furthermore, Pakistan's Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid cut USD 2 billion dollars from a USD 8.2 billion project that aims to upgrade and expand Pakistan's railway network, a significant part of CPEC.

The article quoted Rashid who said, "Pakistan is a poor country that cannot afford huge burden of the loans. CPEC is like the backbone for Pakistan, but our eyes and ears are open."

Islamabad's latest move was inviting the oil-rich Saudi for investments in the Gwadarrefinery and mines in Balochistan. The fact that Pakistan officials denied suggestions that the Gulf country would join the CPEC was an indication to China's apprehensions with the deal.

During campaigning for the General Elections in the country, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had likened the CPEC to "a modern-day equivalent of the British East IndiaCompany" which eventually led to colonisation in the South-Asian subcontinent and drained the economies of the countries colonised.

The PTI also denounced Chinese-funded transit projects in Punjab and claimed that funds, which could be used for social spending, were being squandered, while "suggesting" that the projects involved "corrupt practises".

Therefore, while the Saudi engagement eases Pakistan's financial woes, it also enables Saudi Arabia to prevent Chabahar from emerging as a powerful Arabian Sea hub.

A study published last year by the International Institute for Iranian Studies claims that Iran's Chabahar port posed "a direct threat to the Arab Gulf states" that called for "immediate countermeasures."

The study, credited to Mohammed Hassan Husseinbor, further 'warned' that the India-backed port could raise foreign investment in Iran, increase government revenues and "enable Iran to increase its oil market share in India at the expense of Saudi Arabia."
Husseinbor also suggested Saudi support for a low-level Baloch insurgency in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, which would "be a formidable challenge, if not impossible, for the Iranian government to protect such long distances and secure Chabahar in the face of widespread Baluch opposition, particularly if this opposition is supported by Iran's regional adversaries and world powers."

US President Donald Trump's national security advisor John Bolton had drafted a plan last year that "envisioned US support 'for the democratic Iranian opposition' including in Balochistan and Iran's Sistan and Balochistan province."

The Saudi-Pakistan deal may potentially bear ominous implications for China, who may well be able to manage Pakistan by addressing their CPEC-related reservations, however, a Saudi-Iranian conflict will be much more complicated to deal with.

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News Network
November 7,2024

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Mangaluru, Nov 7: In the quiet village of Tippunagar, Loretto Padavu, a heartbreaking accident claimed the life of three-year-old Aashika on Wednesday, leaving a family and community shattered.

Aashika, the beloved daughter of Unais from Pattanabailu near Farangipet, was simply enjoying a carefree moment, playing outside her grandmother’s house. It was then that an unimaginable tragedy struck: a parked goods tempo, owned by her uncle, unexpectedly rolled backward, trapping the innocent child beneath its wheels.

Despite her family’s desperate rush to get her to the hospital, little Aashika’s injuries proved too severe, and she was declared dead upon arrival. Her passing has cast a deep shadow over the close-knit community, who grieve alongside her family for the life taken too soon.

The Bantwal traffic police have registered a case and are investigating the incident, while the community mourns the loss of a precious young soul who had only just begun to experience life’s wonder.
 

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News Network
November 18,2024

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Mangaluru: The Ullal police have arrested Manohar, the owner of Vazco Beach Resort, and its manager Bharath in connection with the drowning of three college girls from Mysuru at the resort’s swimming pool on November 17.

City Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal confirmed the arrests, stating that a case has been registered under Section 106 of BNS. The bodies of the victims, all in their twenties, have been handed over to their parents. The women had arrived at the resort for a weekend getaway on November 16.

Following the tragic incident, the resort was sealed by officials led by Mangaluru Assistant Commissioner Harshavardhan. The trade license of the resort, issued on June 13, 2024, has been suspended, and the tourism department has temporarily revoked the resort's registration. These actions prohibit the resort from engaging in any tourism-related activities until further notice.

Someshwara TMC Chief Officer stated that the suspension was due to the resort's failure to implement adequate safety measures, which resulted in the loss of three lives. Further investigations are underway.

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News Network
November 12,2024

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The UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon has warned that the “picture of life in Lebanon remains grim,” highlighting an "alarming" level of human suffering and significant humanitarian consequences due to the ongoing Israeli carnage.

Imran Riza, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), provided a stark overview of the Arab country's dire circumstances in a statement released on Monday.

“The current picture of life in Lebanon remains grim. Yesterday, airstrikes reportedly killed 23 people, including seven children, in the village of Aalmat in Mount Lebanon,” Riza said on X.

An airstrike in the city of Tyre on the same day resulted in the tragic deaths of five siblings from a single family, all of whom had special needs, according to his statement.

He added that in the last week, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 241 individuals and left 642 others injured in Lebanon, as reported by the Ministry of Health.

“In the past month, more than 185,000 people have fled their homes in their search for safety within the country, bringing the total to over 870,000 people internally displaced,” Riza said

The UN official highlighted that numerous individuals, including the elderly and those with health issues, are staying behind while witnessing the ruins of their ancestral homes.

He urged for the swift safeguarding of civilian people and infrastructure, emphasizing the necessity to uphold international humanitarian law and end the ongoing violence.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli forces bombed a house in the town of Maydoun in Bekaa on Monday night, killing three people and destroying the house.

Earlier, Israel bombed the northern town of Ain Yaaqoub, killing at least 14 people.

The killings came as Israeli military continued to pound Lebanon, bombing shops selling electrical appliances in the southern city of Tyre and carrying out air raids on the towns of Shamshtar in eastern Baalbek and Roumine in southern Nabatieh.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said Israeli attacks killed at least 54 people across the country on Monday.

Israel’s merciless attacks continue despite calls from the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire and directives from the International Court of Justice urging measures to prevent genocide and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and Lebanon.

In Lebanon, at least 3,243 people have been killed and 14,134 others wounded in Israeli attacks since the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah opened a support front for Palestinians in Gaza only a day after the Israeli regime unleashed its genocidal war on the besieged territory.

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