DECADES of state apathy and indifference have taught the people of Balochistan one thing: self-sustenance. They no longer look to the state, which they see as being too lethargic in facilitating citizens.

From basic utilities to having a reliable source of income, the Baloch believe they are on their own and have to build everything from scratch.

A case in point is the Gabd Rimdan-250 border point between Pakistan and Iran, which was once a barren area with scant traces of life. Now, it is a flourishing trade centre, thanks to local traders who say they put their blood and sweat into setting it up, turning a deserted area into a revenue spinner for the state.

One of the official border crossings between the two countries, it is located about 120km east of Iran’s Chabahar port and 70km west of Gwadar port.

Locals say after they did all the hard work of turning a deserted crossing into thriving trade hub, others will come and try to reap its rewards

Lying between Rimdan in Iran’s Sistan province and Gabd in Pakistan’s Gwadar district, the point was officially inaugurated in 2020.

But locals from Gabd and other areas of Makran have been carrying out trade and other business activities here long before that.

“In the past, Gabd used to be a backward and distant border point,” recalls Shamsul Haq, the president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“When trade started, local businessmen developed the border point and everything else on their own so that business could thrive.”

Baboo Gulab also remembers Gabd as a deserted area a decade ago with no metalled roads or other facility.

A local trader, the late Waja Bakhshullah Hoth and other residents, initially started trade through the border and paved the way for more businesses to set up in the area, said Mr Gulab, who is also the former district chairman of Gwadar.

“Now people have made big investments by constructing warehouses for imports and exports,” he told Dawn.

Losing it all

Like Mr Haq and Mr Gulab, other local traders also speak triumphantly about the border’s transformation. However, during conversations, their tone soon betrays a tinge of concern over a development they fear would decimate their livelihood.

The army-run National Logistics Cell (NLC) has recently acquired 72 acres of land to construct warehouses and establish its trade centre in Gabd.

While talking to Dawn, traders said they have been cold-shouldered over this development and their concerns aren’t being addressed.

They fear NLC, with its mighty resources, will have a monopoly over trade activities in Gabd and their businesses will be severely affected, or worse, shut down.

“We have many reservations over the arrival of NLC,” said Hanif Nigori, a local of Gwadar.

“We, the locals and traders, will be jobless. Moreover, NLC has not paid the locals the cost of acquiring their lands,” he claimed.

Another Gwadar resident, Abdul Hakim Baloch said if NLC established its warehouses, it would affect the local market, which would have dire consequences for Gwadar residents.

“Thanks to local traders there are facilities and economic activities in Gabd which are benefiting us. But this all can come to a halt after the arrival of NLC.”

Revenue spinner

Locals claim the border crossing has turned into a revenue spinner and now authorities want to a share in the dividends.

“Locals planted a tree two decades ago and when it started giving fruits, everyone came to claim a reward,” said Mr Gulab.

While talking to Dawn, one local trader claimed the crossing generated over Rs1.9bn in revenue in June and over Rs1.3bn in July.

A Gwadar-based Customs official told Dawn that 70pc of the total revenue earned from the Makran division is generated from the border crossing.

“In 2022-23, Rs33,292m revenue was generated from the Gabd-Rimdan border crossing, which was 137pc more than the annual target,” shared the official on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to the media.

Locals are concerned NLC would take the lion’s share of revenue, leaving crumbs for them and decimating their decades of effort.

However, NLC says these concerns are unwarranted.

Muhammad Ibrar, NLC’s manager at the border crossing, said the company has duly paid locals for the 72 acres of land it has purchased to construct and build terminals.

“In the last 15 or 20 years, local traders have received their benefits through the trade and warehouses,” he said and dismissed locals’ concerns that they will be jobless after the arrival of NLC.

“Instead, there will be more job opportunities.”

However, he said that NLC had conveyed the reservations of local traders to higher authorities.

In the recent past, Gwadar has seen widespread discontentment over what locals claim is the exploitation of their resources without benefiting them.

There have been two massive protests in the past two years, and locals claim instead of addressing the issues, the government has further compounded their miseries.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2023