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The ADB studies, however considered Gwadar to have the most advantageous...
To manage a planned growth of the city with an effective road access network.
Gwadar Port : Hidden forces creating hurdles in development: MNAs
By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: The legislators on Thursday expressed their apprehensions that some hidden forces are behind the scene creating hindrance in the full functionality of Gwadar Port, which is already developed but cannot complete its roads connectivity with rest of the country.
Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping expressed these views during a meeting under the chairmanship of Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan.
The members said some friendly neighbour countries are also involved in disrupting the smooth functionality of the port, which is in the best interest of the country. When the government wanted to develop the Karachi Port, same types of hurdles were created by neighbouring countries. However, the members stressed for creation of unity and fully operational the Gwadar Port. Everyone has to keep the national interest on top.
MNA Nasir Ali Shah claimed there will be no example of any port in the world, which is constructed in instalments. He said functionality of this port is not the priority of the government. Gwadar Port will not be completed by 2025 if the government does not allocate and release funds for Gwadar connectivity roads network. Without road connectivity, he said this port is a total failure and all the money spent over will be a waste. He also expressed his astonishment over the fact that Port of Singapore earned more money than the port authority itself. Like Sandak and Reko Diq, these foreigners just took away the resources of Balochistan and the people of the area are left at the mercy of nature.
Chairman of the committee said if the prime minister can approve Rs 47 billion for Multan Package then he should also approve special funds for construction of Gwadar roads network.
Officials of the National Highway Authority (NHA) briefed the committee about its ongoing construction of roads in Balochistan. They said that development works on Makran Coastal Highway was in progress but the work was delayed due to non-availability of funds. The 2010 floods resulted in a cut in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2010-11 and the NHA funds were cut by 50 percent from Rs 36 billion to Rs 18 billion last year.
Such a cut of funds badly affects the progress on construction of roads across the country including Balochistan. The officials of NHA also informed the committee that a contractor on Makran Coastal Highway was killed. The law and order creates hurdles in execution of the project, which further delay the completion of the project.
The NHA requires Rs 2 billion urgently for this project and the government allocated Rs 1.5 billion in the PSDP 2011-12, which also prolongs the time period of completion of this national importance project.
MNA Fouzia Wahab speaking on the occasion said that under the new National Finance Commission Award, the share of Balochistan province is increased from Rs 35 billion to Rs 90 billion. Apart from these amounts, she said the government also allocated more funds under special package for Balochistan. The provincial government of Balochistan has to spare some money for this important project because major benefits of it will go to the province. Funds generation for the government is the most difficult job because imposing new taxes is strongly resisted by the people. Ports and Shipping secretary informed the committee that up till now 105 containers enter the country through Gwadar Port and each container generates employment to 240 persons. Only urea fertilizer, wheat and sugar are imported into the country through this port.
MNA Nosheen Saeed informed the committee that when Pakistan stopped NATO containers, it cost the forces $500 per container while transporting through other routes. Why is Pakistan not demanding such compensation while allowing NATO containers to pass through using our network. Same is the case of Gwadar Port, she said if developed will also benefit trade with China and India. There is great potential and stressed that the port road connectivity might be completed earlier.
Chairman of the committee decided to hold the next meeting in Gwadar where all stakeholders will be briefed by the committee and efforts will speed up the work on its road construction.
QUETTA: Government of Balochistan has decided to computerize the record of all lands in the province in order to settle the ownership issues for ever.
The decision was made in a meeting chaired by the Provincial Revenue Minister Engineer Zmarak Khan Achakzai and attended by Chief Secretary Ahmad Bakhsh Lehri and other senior officials.
The meeting also decided to award ownership rights of land to the residents of Shambay Samael locality at Gwadar town.
The meeting also decided to computerize the record of all lands in the province in order to settle the ownership issues for ever. Initially the department would start the computerization process from Gwadar which would gradually be extended to other parts of the province.
The meeting also formed a committee which would review the computerization process and present its recommendations to the government.
The meeting also decided to launch operation to vacate the public lands from encroachers and occupiers. (APP)
3)
Ornatehawk
Date: 25.1.2012 18:13
BBC So Asia: Pakistan ports to receive over 3m dollars for parked NATO containers report
2012 01 25 11:43:42.415 GMT
Text of report headlined "Blockage of supplies; over 5,000 NATO
containers stranded at Pakistani ports" published by Pakistani
newspaper Ausaf on 22 January
Karachi, More than 5,500 NATO containers and vehicles are stranded at
Pakistani ports following the blockade of the NATO supply line. The
three ports in which the NATO containers are stranded are expected to
receive 300m rupees [3.3m dollars] demurrage for the parked NATO
containers.
Pakistan blocked the NATO supply route (to Afghanistan) after an
attack on a border checkpoint. As a result, more than 5,800 NATO
containers and other vehicles are parked at Karachi Port Trust, Port
Qasim, and Gwadar Port for the past two months. The demurrage for each
vehicle is around 1,400 rupees [15.5 dollars] per day. According to an
estimate, the Pakistani ports are expected to receive 300m rupees
[3.3m rupees] per month as demurrage charges.
Originally published by Ausaf, Islamabad, in Urdu 22 Jan 12, p5.
(c) 2012 BBC Monitoring South Asia. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All
rights Reserved.
4)
jasim
Date: 25.1.2012 04:35
Reko Diq copper-cum-gold mine, Gwadar port and untapped oil and gas resources of Balochistan have the potential to turn around the economy of the province and that of the country in a matter of few years. Unfortunately, these mega projects having far reaching economic implications for the country have been webbed in by political compulsions and legal lacunas. It is high time that the people and the government of Pakistan decades’ to break themselves free from the entwinements of the major power and take control of their own destiny. We must stop blaming regional and international players for lack of development in the province.
The government took refuge behind such pretexts for last sixty-three year, which only contributed towards worsening of the situation in the province.
Back in October 2011 Chief Minister of Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani had said, “Some international forces also did not want the port (Gwadar) to become fully functional because they felt it would be detrimental to their interests.” Such notions reflect defeatist attitude. What people demand from present leadership is that it must take charge of the situation and work for the betterment of the people irrespective of the odds.
Feasibility study of Gwadar Port was started in 1993, however, its construction commenced in 2002 with Chinese collaboration. Construction work was completed in 2007, but ironically without necessary road and rail infrastructure.
Due to lack of connectivity the port isn’t fully operational even in 2012. A facility that has the potential to turnaround the economy of the country is lying redundant. Obsequiously Musharraf government opted to award the contract to operate the port to the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) for forty years, which will terminate in 2047. The PSA has done nothing to improve the operations of the port.
Nawab Aslam Raisani is seeking cancellation of the contract with the PSA International Ltd on the ground that the deal signed was “one-sided.” The contract was also challenged in the Supreme Court and the matter is pending. In spite of all these efforts the operations of the port will remain hostage to this contract unless government decides to resolve this issue at priority.
The major impairment in the operationalisation of Gwadar Port is lack of communication infrastructure connecting it with national road and rail network.
The port was to have three road links connecting it with Karachi, Punjab and with Quetta. So far only coastal highway connecting Gwadar with Karachi has been completed. This road has no or very little value from the point of view of operationalisation of the port as it would be illogical to get the cargo off loaded at Gwadar and then transport the same to Karachi by road. The work on Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab section of M-8 is likely to be completed by Dec 2012. However, work on 414km long Hoshab-Awaran-Khuzdar section of M-8 will start in second phase. Therefore, no time frame can be given as to when the port would be connected with Punjab. Work on 454km long Hoshab-Panjgur-Naag-Basima-Sorab section of M-8 connecting Gwadar with Quetta is scheduled to be completed by June 2014. Gwadar Port was planned to be linked with railway network at Mastung located on Quetta-Taftan section for which only feasibility study has been completed. It is any bodies guess that how much time it will take to lay 901 km of railway track in rugged terrain of Balochistan. These disappointing facts reflect on the criminal neglect by the decision makers. . Army is also putting in its best and has made remarkable contributions especially in education sector. Their efforts range from setting up of a medical college to establishment of technical institutes to impart skills to Baloch youth. These efforts by the government and army will definitely support and facilitate the provincial government. But the void is so large that these efforts are getting diluted and the benefits are trickling down to masses at a very slow pace.
In such a situation we cannot afford to miss the opportunities presented by projects like Gwadar Port. This project will remain relevant till the time alternates aren’t fully operational. Iran is working to link Chabahar free trade area to Iran’s main rail network, which is connected to Central Asia and Afghanistan.
This would provide more capacity for Chabahar to promote faster logistics. With the emplacement of railway facility, Chabahar will be better linked with CARs through Turkmenistan bypassing volatile Afghanistan.
That will also reduce the significance of Gwadar Port. If we want to accrue optimum benefit from operationalising of Gwadar Port, construction of road and rail links in the shortest possible time should be our top priority.
