Indian Steel King & Iron mines of Bamyan normalize Indo-Pak relations

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.