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It’s amazing that tomorrow’s
small fishing village ‘Gwadar’ is fast
emerging as a Deep Sea Port today. This is
important to note that the Government of
Pakistan, keeping in view its utmost
significance in the area, has declared
‘Gwadar’ as a Duty Free Port and a Free
Economic Zone. This has not only enhanced
its commercial worth manifold but has also
accelerated the pace of development to an
incredible extent. |
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In fact, Gwadar enjoys the
status of a third Deep Sea Port of Pakistan
which has a special significance with
reference to trade links with Central Asian
Countries, Persian Gulf, East Africa, United
Arab Emirates and North Western India. |
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Gwadar by virtue of its
finest location, development projects,
recreation programmes and Government’s
special attention, will soon turn into a
city which will be comparable with cities
like Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai. |
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In view of the promising
future of Gwadar, people from Pakistan and
abroad who believe in safe and sound
investment, are taking keen interest in
Gwadar. |
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Historical Info |
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Gwadar At A Glance |
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Geo-Political Importance Of Gwadar |
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Geo-Economic Importance Of Gwadar |
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Historical Info |
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Located at the entrance of
the Persian Gulf and about 460 kms from
Karachi, Gwadar has had immense Geostrategic
significance on many accounts. The continued
unstable regional environment in the Persian
Gulf in particular as a result of the
Iran/Iraq war, the Gulf war and the
emergence of the new Central Asian States
has added to this importance. Considering
the Geo-economic imperative of the regional
changes, the ADB’s Ports Master Plan studies
considered an alternate to the Persian Gulf
Ports to capture the transit trade of the
Central Asian Republic (CAR) as well as the
trans-shipment trade of the region. Both
Karachi and PQA were considered for such
development but were found unattractive to
major shipping lines due to the remoteness
from the main shipping routes, the
limitations of draft for mother ships and
large bulk oil carriers and the comparative
long turn around times. The ADB studies,
however considered Gwadar to have the most
advantageous location for such an
alternative port in the region, which could
handle mother ships and large oil tankers in
due course. Keeping that aspect in view as
well as the inherent strategic and economic
benefits that Gwadar Port offered, the
transport plan of the 8th Five Year Plan
(1993-94) of Pakistan included the
development of Gwadar Port as an essential
element of its aims and objectives.
Technical and financial feasibilities
therefore were under taken resulting in
decisions for the development of Gwadar Port
by the Govt. of Pakistan. The Project
started on 22 March 2002, is on fast track
and will Inshaullah complete in schedule
time i.e March 2005. In fact it would
surprise many that with initiative and
calculated risk, we have received merchant
ships since Jan 2003 and have been able to
off load hundreds of tones of cargo imported
for the Project, thus saving precious time
and money which otherwise is required for
transportation of the same cargo by road
from Karachi/PQA to Gwadar. |
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Gwadar At A Glance |
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Gwadar is the District
Headquarter of Makran Division in
Balochistan, the largest province of Islamic
Republic of Pakistan. It is situated on the
coastal line of Makran. Along the coastal
line ,there are four Tehsils including
Gwadar, Jiwani, Kulanch and Ormara. Jiwani
is the only one on the western part of
Gawadar, joining Iranian border on Pakistani
side. Kulanch and Ormara, on its eastern
side are connecting District Lasbela and to
Karachi finally. The distance between Gwadar
and Karachi in this way, is around 715 km. |
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Geo-Political Importance Of Gwadar |
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Dubai is the hub of business
not only for Gulf but also for rest of the
world including Europe, United States,
Africa, China and Central Asian States,
simultaneously. The gulf region is facing
many political conflicts at the moment and
huge disturbances in the current
administrative structure are expected in the
coming years. In such a scenario, a
substitute of Dubai is essential to be
located before the crisis hits the finances
of millions. The substitute shall be a
nearest point probably, to ensure continuous
supply line of oil from Gulf to the outer
world. Fortunately, Gwadar proves to be the
nearest and infact more cost-effective
substitute of Dubai, from many aspects. |
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China is emerging as a super
economic power of the world in the recent
years. Despite occupying a huge area of
world's land, it doesn't have any port of
hot waters, which can be used the whole
year. The distance of Chinese industrial
approach to the Shinghai port is
approximately 16000 km and the sea travel of
2-3 months is additional. This costs them a
lot in the form of taxes and duties as well.
As compared to this, Gwadar port is only on
a distance of 2500 km from China and the
port is working for the whole year because
of the hot waters here. Therefore, the
interest of China in the development of
Gwadar port is infact in the interest of
Chinese economy. |
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The central Asian states,
after the independence from USSR, are trying
to develop their economies. These states are
land locked and Karachi was expected to
provide them the services through
Afghanistan. For the purpose, a highway from
Peshawar to Karachi was constructed but due
to Afghan crisis, this line couldn't be
established. The Afghan situation is till
not clear, so, Gwadar being near to Iranian
border will provide port facilities to
Central Asia as well. |
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Geo-Economic Importance Of Gwadar |
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With a population of 160000,
the Gwadar Town on Makran Coast is now set
to become a hub of shipping, commercial and
industrial activities. Pakistan and China
had signed a comprehensive agreement on
March 16, 2002 at Beijing undertaking the
task of construction of Gwadar deep seaport
of universal standards. The work on the
first phase of this mega project, which is
being constructed by Chinese Harbor
Engineering Company, is now at full swing.
The project is bound to be a vital landmark
in the economic development of the region.
The port comes as a much-needed national
requirement in the wake of the rise in cargo
traffic at Keamari and Bin Qasim, which are
operating at full capacity. It is expected
that Pakistan's maritime traffic would rise
by three folds by 2010. With the
construction of a third port, it is
estimated that Pakistan will not only be
able to meet its own requirements of the
future but also offer its port facilities to
the neighboring countries. |
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Gwadar is now destined to be
the most important upcoming coastal town
located on the inter junction of the three
most strategically and economically
important regions of the world that are oil
rich Middle East, South Asia where one-
fifth of world population lives and the
Central Asian Republics endowed with mineral
wealth and an educated and highly skilled
and disciplined workforce. |
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