New Crossing.

After seventy years, we have opened a second border crossing with Iran; at Gwadar. This is a historic moment, one that has long-term potential benefits for people on both sides of the border. Alongside regional ramifications that stand to connect high-volume trade centres with one another, Taftan has long been under constant pressure to handle any and all Pak-Iran trade, which is why this new crossing might just be a game-changer. Of course, this also helps in the region realising its goal of greater connectivity.

China's one-belt-one-road, investment in Gwadar and Chabahar, and now an avenue to move goods on land as well as on sea through the coastal city-alongside the existing sea route and route into the rest of Pakistan-makes the network more extensive and potentially prosperous.

However, there are still some issues left to iron out within Gwadar itself. The old problem of the provision of basic utilities continues to be a stumbling block in the development of the city. Residents of Gwadar must receive the same quality of services such as electricity, water supply, healthcare and education as the most developed...