Landing of Indian Prime Minister Modi
at Lahore airport without any announced schedule, having a family get together
with the family of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his private
residence Jati Umra in Lahore surprised many across the boarders. Modi’s this
arrival from Kabul on his return from official visit of Russia make the event
more surprising rather suspicious. He had official engagements neither in
Afghanistan nor in Pakistan. Inauguration of Afghan Parliament building, which
is still incomplete (96% of civil works done till 25-12-2015) and having a cup
of tea with PM Nawaz Sharif can be shouted ‘official’ from the diplomats across
India-Pakistan-Afghanistan boarders but very few have bothered to pay any
attention. Than what's going on and what are the reasons behind this
mockery?
Series of events occurred in last one
and a half year among India-Pakistan and Afghanistan (IPA) transpire that
something fishy is happening around at least to the extent of India and
Pakistan. The fierce Modi of last year seams very humble now having ambition of
solving bilateral disputes on the table. In this scenario mountainous Hajigak
region of Bamyan province in Afghanistan with its stunning reserve of Iron ore
(1.8 billion metric tons approximately) and Sajjan Jindal, the Indian steel
tycoon knock the minds. Many of international organizations including of China,
Canada, Australia etc. are drooling over this largest iron reserve of the Asia
but very recently an Indian consortium having Sajjan Jindal’s JSW Steel as its
major, has been awarded exploration contract by the Afghan government. Awarding
a contract for an activity inside Afghanistan to anyone is the prerogative of
Afghan government upon which any of observation by the China or Pakistan don’t
have any meaning but interesting are the impacts of such contracting upon IPA
relations actually.
It is rightly said by many of Indians
as well as Pakistanis that better bilateral relations between the two warring
nations can change the fate of entire region but despite of having this desire,
no improvement arrives practically. But thanks to the Hajigak iron reserves,
situation is changing dramatically.
Veteran Indian TV journalist Barkha Dutt in her
book This Unquiet Land has stated that when Modi landed at Lahore
airport, Mr. Sajjan Jindal was already present there. He also joined hi-tea with
both PMs at Jati Umra. His this presence raised eyebrows of many around but
people known of his previous such encounters treated this as ‘normal’. Mr.
Jindal was also seen in Khathmandu, Nepal last year when Modi and Sharif had a
one hour secret meeting on the sideline of regional summit hosted by Nepal. Both
Indian and Pakistani foreign offices still deny occurrence of any such events
but insider have solid proofs that on facilitation and motivation of Sajjan
Jindal both PMs had an hour long meeting away from TV cameras. Long before this
gathering, invitation from India to Nawaz Sharif for joining the oath taking
ceremony of Modi as PM was also motivated by Jindal. He not only managed this
invitation but also convinced Nawaz Sharif to join. Later he arranged a tea
party for Nawaz Sharif and his sons. It is no more a secret that Jindal and
Hussain Nawaz Sharif are in close link nowadays because of their common interest
of steel business. It’s a fortunate coincidence for Sajjan Jindal that Pakistani
PM has a family business of steel which is well described in Urdu proverb بلی کے
بھاگوں چھینکا ٹوٹا. Very recently a photo of Modi and Nawaz Sharif published in
the media where both are having an informal discussion at Paris on the eve of
global summit held for marking Paris attacks. Many have taken it as usual but
insiders have a very different opinion. The insider’s story again reveals name
of Sajjan Jindal present around and facilitating this informal meeting.
Question arrives, why he is doing all
this? And the answer is, Iron reserves of Hajigak, very simple.
JSW Steel Ltd. of Sajjan Jindal is
the major stakeholder of the consortium which has won the mining rights of
Hajigak in Bamyan province of Afghanistan. This deal is not limited to the
extraction of Iron only but it includes establishment of a power generation unit
of 800 MW, installation of a steel mill with the capacity of 6.2 million ton per
annum (mtpa) and development of necessary infrastructure. In all this episode
Pakistan’s role is going to be very much important. Thanks to Allah for awarding
this country with such crucial strategic position. India can dig an Iron reserve
in Afghanistan, establish steel manufacturing units there and whatever else he
wanted to but India can’t take direct benefit bypassing Pakistan. If India wants
to transport the extraction of Hajigak mines and production of steel mill
established there through ChahBahar Port of Iran, its not impossible. It is
possible because India has already developed this port and a road linking this
port with Afghanistan for the trade with Afghanistan. A railway track is also
proposed from Chahbahar to Bamyan but this route is so long and difficult that
purchasing iron from Brazil or Australia will be far cheaper for India. The
safest and shortest way of transporting something from Bamyan to India crosses
through Pakistan either from Khyber Pass to Wahga boarder or through Broghol or
Dohra Pass in Chitral to downward Pakistan and than to Amritsar in India. Nawaz
Sharif has very recently announced a motorway link to Chitral from the Swabi
interchange at M-I while expansion of Torkham road is also in progress. Hence
these routes very much suites to JSW Steel for transportation of iron ore or
refined steel. But for utilizing this route, stable diplomatic relations between
India and Pakistan as well as Pakistan and Afghanistan matters a lot. In recent
days we have witnessed pleasant changes not only in gestures of Afghan president
Ashraf Ghani but also in Abdullah Abdullah, a long-standing rival of Pakistan.
Well, I may allowed to suggest, if
India appoint Mr. Sajjan Jindal as her special envoy for Pakistan and Pakistan
in return, declare Mian Muhammad Mansha for India, can’t say what will happen
to Kashmir issue, Sir Creek issue, Siachin issue, water disputes and the rest of
lengthy list of disputes between the two countries but I can surly say steel
business among India, Pakistan and Afghanistan will see new heights in near
future.
