It is quite amazing that yesterday's small fishing village of Gwadar has rapidly emerged as an international deep-sea port of today. It is really important that the government has declared 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 fine location, development projects, recreational programmes, the government's special attention will soon turn it into a city that can be comparable with the cities like Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.
Gwadar, the western port city, has already got the attention of economic planners. Gwadar has an immense strategic importance. It lies near the Straits of Hormuz, gateway to the Gulf through which 40% of the world's oil passes. The port also has a great commercial attraction. It lies 1,250 miles from Xinjiang, 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 this sea port.
The development of Gwadar could bring economic gains to the backward Balochistan province. The infrastructural development of the province could make it an attractive investment place. Meanwhile, land prices around Gwadar are said to be shooting up. Keeping in view its utmost importance, the Government of Pakistan has declared Gwadar as duty-free port and a free-economic zone.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF GWADAR BESIDES ITS GEO-STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE ARE: Capitalizing the opportunities for trade with landlocked Central Asian States and Afghanistan, promotion of trade and transport with the Gulf States, trans-shipment essentially of containerised cargo, unlocking the development potential of hinterland, diversion of influx of human resources from upcountry to Gwadar, Socio-economic upliftment of Balochistan, establishment of shipping-related industries, oil storage, refinery and petro-chemicals, export processing industrial zones and many many more avenues.
Gwadar may emerge as a key shipping point, bringing Pakistan the 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 the Gwadar port.
Pakistan's business community seems to be in favour of Gwadar being designated free trade and export-processing zones. These all 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 for Balochistan 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.
Now, China is a major investor in Gwadar and has spent 248 million dollars in the first phase of Gwadar. The total cost of the project may go up to 2.2 billion dollars.
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 an oil output of 60,000 barrels per day 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 of dollars in western China's 5-year plan to develop it and Gwadar is a necessarily part of that plan. Pakistan invests more than an amount of 2 billion dollars to upgrade Gwadar and completion of related development programmes in the last two years.
The provincial government is spending 4.5 billion rupees 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 3 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 7 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-dollar exports this year.
These all signs show the government efforts to make Pakistan economically strong. And the mega projects that government has started in Balochistan, including the Gwadar Port, are going to generate an estimated $60 billion every year and would provide a firm basis for 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 the people dwelling in the backward areas.
The government, through Gwadar, would end an era of depreciation for Baloch people and encourage them to work on the road to progress and prosperity to contribute in nation-building activities.
Dreams of progress are materialising and clouds of desperation are shattering. Thus a better future for Balochistan is ahead in the form of a fully-developed Gwadar Port.
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