| Gwadar- yesterday’s
small fishing village has rapidly emerged as an
international Deep Seaport City today. It is a
good move by the government to declare Gwadar a
Duty Free Port and free economic zone, keeping
in view the significance of the region. This has
not only enhanced its commercial worth manifold,
but has also accelerated the pace of development
to an incredible extent. By virtue of its finest
location, development projects, recreational
programs and government’s special attention, it
will soon turn into a city that can be
comparable with cities like Singapore, Hong Kong
and Dubai. Gwadar, the western port city of
Pakistan, has already got the attention of
economic planners. It has an immense strategic
lure. It lies near the Straits of Hormuz,
gateway to the Gulf through which 40 percent of
the world’s oil passes. The port also has a
great commercial attraction. It lies 1,250 miles
from Xingjian, a landlocked western province and
latecomer to China’s economic boom.
Pakistan identified Gwadar as a port site in
1964. However, it was only in 2001 that
significant steps were taken toward making this
proposal a reality, when China agreed to
participate in the construction and development
of the deep seaport. The development of Gwadar
could bring economic gains in a backward
Balochistan. The infrastructural development of
the province could make it an attractive
investment opportunity. Meanwhile, land prices
around Gwadar are said to be shooting up.
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Economic benefits of Gwadar port, besides the
geo-strategic importance are: capitalizing the
opportunities for trade with landlocked Central
Asian states and Afghanistan, promotion of trade
and transport with Gulf States, trans-shipment,
essentially of containerized cargo, unlocking
the development potential of the hinterland,
diversion of influx of human resources from
upcountry to Gwadar, socio-economic uplift of
the province of Balochistan, establishment of
shipping-related industries, oil storage,
refinery and petro-chemicals, export processing
industrial zones and many more avenues.
Gwadar could emerge as a key shipping point,
bringing Pakistan a much-needed income, and when
combined with the surrounding areas could become
a trade hub, once road and rail links connect it
to the rest of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central
Asia. A road from Gwadar to Saindak, said to be
the shortest route between Central Asia and the
sea, is under construction. Gwadar would provide
landlocked Afghanistan and the Central Asian
republics with access to the sea. Goods, oil and
gas reserves from these countries could be
shipped to global markets through Gwadar port.
Pakistan’s business community seems to be in
favor of Gwadar port being designated a free
trade zone and an export-processing zone.
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All these mega projects in Balochistan,
especially in Gwadar, worth billions of dollars
carry national and international dimensions. The
completion of these projects will not only usher
in an era of prosperity in Balochistan, but it
will also change the outlook of the region.
Gwadar is Pakistan’s largest infrastructural
project since independence. After the completion
of the first phase of Gwadar port, billions of
dollars have been invested in Gwadar and in the
next one or two years the investment can cross
the figure of trillions. China is a major
investor in Gwadar, and has spent $248 million
in the first phase of Gwadar port. The total
cost of projects may go up to $2.2 billion.
China also plans to invest $12 billion in
multiple projects in Pakistan, including the
country’s largest oil refinery at Gwadar, the
Oriental Morning Post reported. The Gwadar oil
refinery, which is being planned and designed,
is expected to reach a daily oil output of
60,000 barrels when it goes into production.
China is also planning to foster its
participation in Pakistan’s long-term economic
development by investing $500 million in a joint
venture investment company. Beijing is also
investing billions after billions of dollars in
western China, a grand five-year plan to develop
it, and Gwadar is a necessary part of that
five-year plan.
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Pakistan has invested more than $2 billion to
upgrade Gwadar and in the completion of related
development programmes in the last two years.
The provincial Government of Balochistan itself
is spending Rs 4.5 billion in Gwadar. Pakistan
is an impoverished and underdeveloped country.
Its economic record was not good in the past.
After coming into power, President General
Pervez Musharraf focused on the economic sector.
There is no doubt that in the last three years,
Pakistan’s economic growth is moving quickly
towards a record-breaking achievement in the
country’s history. Pakistan has attracted a sum
of $1.6 billion as foreign investment during the
first seven months of this fiscal year, starting
last July. It is expected to attract $1.4
billion more in the rest of the fiscal year.
Pakistan also hopes to achieve $18 billion
exports this year. All these signs show the
government’s efforts to make Pakistan
economically strong. And the mega projects that
the government has started in Balochistan,
including Gwadar port, are going to generate an
estimated $60 billion every year over the span
of time and provide a firm basis for the
socio-economic uplift of the province. As soon
as the Gwadar port goes operational, a rapid
socio-economic uplift of Balochistan will be
witnessed and would change the living standards
of people dwelling in the backward areas of
Balochistan.
The government, through Gwadar, would end an era
of depreciation for the Baloch people, and
encourage them to work on the road of progress
and prosperity to contribute in nation building.
Dreams of progress are materialising and clouds
of desperation are shattering. Thus, a better
future of Balochistan is ahead in the form of a
fully-developed Gwadar port.
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