WITH Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to economic sanctions by the West, the new ‘great game’ has come into play.

Whereas, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the crucial energy conduit through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes — could cause a big jolt in global oil markets, it could also engage America, China, Iran, India and Pakistan. Gwadar port in Balochistan is likely to emerge as the key node in this.

The strait is one of the most strategically important chokepoints through which some 14 tankers loaded with 15.5 million barrels of crude pass in one day. The US that maintains a naval presence in the Gulf is currently trying to contain Iran’s influence in the strategically important chokepoint, while Iran is fully prepared to defy the US.

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THE military handling of Balochistan is pushing Baloch nationalists into the separatist camp. All the apparent `kill and dump` policy is achieving is to kill any possibility of reconciliation and dump any chance of peace.

The real problem lies in the mindset underpinning the approach to handling the Balochistan crisis the frame of mind created by the national security paradigm that gives the security and intelligence agencies a greater role. Only if this mindset is changed can the disgruntled youth of Balochistan be brought back into the national mainstream.

Balochistan has always remained on the country`s political periphery. Over-centralism, a unitary type of governance and the arbitrary nature of the decision-making process in Islamabad have alienated the young of Balochistan. A province, already at the receiving end, is now receiving the bullet-riddled bodies of its people. The `mysterious kidnappings of political activists and extra-judicial killings are only fanning anti-federation flames.

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OF late in a retaliatory mood, Pakistan has been playing the ‘no more’ song to Washington’s ‘do more’ mantra. After blocking Nato supply lines through its territory and getting the Shamsi airbase vacated, Pakistan has mulled barring US aircraft from using its airspace.

After 10 years of the US-led war on terror Islamabad is seriously considering revisiting its national security paradigm. This period of a decade has been replete with incidents that have constituted a breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty including last November’s deadly Nato attack on Pakistani military outposts that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Islamabad in retaliation cut Nato supply lines, boycotted the Bonn conference on Afghanistan and ordered the US to vacate the Shamsi airbase. This is for the first time in 10 years that the country reacted to such an attack so vehemently.

There is so much fuss about the violation of sovereignty today. But the fact is that Pakistan itself allowed the US to violate the country’s sovereignty under covert and clandestine ‘deals’ and ‘understandings’ regarding the security situation after 9/11.

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