here’s a rewritten version of the article, aiming for 100% uniqueness while preserving the core information and mysterious tone:
Gwadar’s Ghostly Gateway: A USD 24 Million Airport Stands Empty
A new international airport, purportedly the most expensive of its kind, has emerged on the coast of Gwadar, Pakistan, shrouded in an unsettling mystery. Despite its opulent construction and a staggering price tag of USD 24 million (approximately Rp 3.9 trillion), funded entirely by China, the New Gwadar International Airport remains eerily deserted. No passengers have graced its terminals, and no aircraft have touched down or taken off as its inauguration in October 2024.
According to a report by the Autonomous UK on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, this lavish facility stands in stark contrast to the surrounding Balochistan Province. While the airport boasts a capacity for 400,000 passengers, the city of Gwadar itself struggles with basic amenities. Residents face severe shortages of clean water and rely on intermittent electricity supplies, often sourced from Iran or solar panels, highlighting a profound disconnect between the airport’s grandeur and the local reality.
The construction of the New Gwadar International airport is intrinsically linked to China’s extensive investment in Balochistan and Gwadar as part of the aspiring China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).This vast project aims to connect China’s western Xinjiang Province to the Arabian Sea.While CPEC is often lauded as a transformative initiative, the Gwadar airport‘s existence, in its current state, raises significant questions.
The airport’s inauguration itself was a peculiar affair, conducted virtually with media and the public barred from witnessing the inaugural flight. During this period,the city was reportedly transformed into a heavily secured zone,with citizens navigating numerous inspection points,barbed wire,troops,barricades,and watchtowers. Road closures were frequent, ostensibly to ensure the safe passage of Chinese workers and Pakistani dignitaries.
Adding to the enigma, Abdul Ghafoor Hoth, Chairman of the Balochistan awami Party District, revealed that not a single Gwadar resident was employed at the airport, not even in security roles. This lack of local employment fueled discontent, leading to daily protests by residents two months after the airport’s official opening. These demonstrations, which lasted for 47 days, were eventually halted after authorities pledged to address the community’s demands for employment and improved access to electricity and water.
Though, these promises appear to have remained unfulfilled. Two months after the initial protests, no tangible progress has been made in meeting the local population’s needs. Consequently, the New Gwadar International Airport continues to be a perplexing landmark, a symbol of immense investment that remains an unanswered question for the people of Gwadar.