Gwadar

CPEC investments over the past decade improved power supply, roads, and port activity in Balochistan. However, the article calls for CPEC 2.0 to prioritize job creation in the region.

Pakistan and Iran have established trade routes under a 2008 agreement to boost connectivity, with recent FBR procedures facilitating Iran-bound cargo at Pakistani ports. Strategic considerations, including Afghanistan's instability and Central Asia access, drive Pakistan's growing economic engagement with Iran.

Two leaders of a Baloch human rights group in Pakistan were sentenced to life in prison for the death of a paramilitary soldier during a 2024 protest. The prosecution alleged they incited a mob that attacked a security vehicle and killed the soldier, while the activists denied the charges.

Two human rights activists in Pakistan received life sentences for the 2024 death of a paramilitary soldier during a rally in Gwadar. The case was handled by an anti-terrorism court in the southwestern region of the country.

The US-Iran conflict has exposed the strategic vulnerability of Arab Gulf states reliant on the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports. Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait are most affected, while Saudi Arabia and the UAE have partially mitigated disruptions. Pakistan proposes offering oil and gas storage facilities to Gulf states to ensure energy security during future Hormuz closures.