GWADAR | Progress News & Updates [Archive]

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 06:21 PM

Water supply
Water supply is being improved, seven jetties are being constructed and local fishermen are being given motor engine run boats.

Electric Power Supply
A number of electric power generation projects are also being carried out in Gawadar and in its surroundings. The Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), a subsidiary of the WAPDA, has geared up the work for building the power transmission line. It is expected to be completed. A power station of 132 KV is under construction.

Air Port
Gawadar has a small airport, which is basically meant for fokker aircraft. The need is growing for the expansion of this airport and enlargement of its runway to facilitate the landing of wide body aeroplanes. CAA has been directed to upgrade the Gawadar Airport for the landing of Airbuses by the end of 2004. Gawadar port will be open air and after its inauguration the jet planes shall be landing at the Gawadar airport. A sum of 2.3 million dollars is being utilized from Omani grant. The Pakistan government and the Civil Aviation Authority are also contributing additional Rs. 563.35 million for this purpose. The new international Air Port of Gawadar has been planned in the north east of the final master plan of Gawadar.

Dry Port
China wants to set up a dry port near the Pakistan-China border, so that western China could also benefit from the Gawadar seaport and it will create a ribbon of economic activity and hundreds of new jobs along the proposed highway linking Gawadar with the Karakoram highway in the north.

Rice Zone
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP)-apex body of the rice exporters in the country- has decided to establish a rice zone in Gawadar to fetch the opportunities in the area after the construction of new port. The establishment of warehouses will provide extraordinary facilities to rice exporters especially for those who export rice to Iran as the Iranian border is only at a distance of three hours from Gawadar.

Saindak Copper Gold
The Saindak Copper Gold project is in progress by producing 12500 tons 'raw copper' daily. MRDL, a Chinese company, is doing the whole work. To ensure successful implementation of the mega project modern machinery, including crushers, smelters and other plants have been installed in addition to a 50 MW powerhouse. 33 km railway line from Taftan to Saindak has also been laid. The Chinese company MRDL has so far invested $25 million (Rs 1.5 billion) on the project.

Trans Afghan Gas Pipe Line
The 1400km-long Trans-Afghan Gas Pipeline (TAP) from Turkmenistan to Gawadar (Pakistan), the long dormant project that hopes to pump Turkmen natural gas to markets in South Asia, is finally poised to step off the drawing board costing $3 billion.

Makran Coastal Highway
The 715 km Makran Coastal Highway linking Gwadar with Karachi on a 675-mile stretch is going to be lifeline of the Gawadar project. It will be completed in four phases. President Musharraf has already performed the groundbreaking ceremony of second phase under which the Frontier Works Organization is constructing Gawadar Pasni patch. Completion of this highway will open up the area exposing all business opportunities in Gawadar and on Makran coast to the international investors. It is certainly going to attract new townships and settlements of international investors, tourists, and workforce coming from distant lands. The Makran coastal highway will also link Karachi with Iran and, thus, open a new and shorter trade route between the two countries. Gaining access to the more lucrative but landlocked central Asian markets via Iran and Afghanistan is also on the cards.

Linking Cars
The Asian Development Bank has also announced financing for road projects, linking Pakistans Balochistan and Frontier provinces with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs), having a total cost of $500 million
Mirani Dam And Canals

Mirani dam construction is another major endeavor being made to develop water resources in the province. The WAPDA is working on the Mirani Dam Project. Its estimated cost is Rs 7.5 billion. More than Rs15 billion would be spent on this project for which the federal government has provided Rs2 billion in the fiscal year 2002-03. It is expected to irrigate 32,000 acres highly fertile and of Dasht Plains in the downstream while more than 20,000 acres in the upstream through recharge of hundreds of dead and old Kans (deep wells linked up from the bottom ensuring a greater flow of water for domestic use and farming).

Other Projects :

Creek City
Golden Palms
Madina City
Globbiz Avenue
Platinum City
DHA PHASE 1 & 2
Sangar Housing Scheme

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 06:24 PM

Historical Perspective
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.

Benefits
Besides the Geostrategic importance mentioned earlier, some of the evident economic benefits of the development of Gwadar Port are:

Capitalize on opportunities for trade with landlocked Central Asian States and Afghanistan.

Promote trade and transport with Gulf States.

Trans-shipment essentially of containerized cargo.

Unlock the development potential of hinterland.

Diversion of influx of human resources from up country to Gwadar instead of Karachi.

Socio economic uplift of the province of Balochistan.

Establishment of shipping related industries.

Oil storage, refinery and petrochemicals

Export Processing and Industrial Zones

Reduce congestion & dependency on existing Ports Complex at Karachi/PQA.

Serve as an alternate port to handle Pakistani trade in case of blockade of existing ports.

Will become a Regional Hub for major trade and commercial activities.

Scope of Work

The development of Gwadar Deep Sea Port as per approved PC-I and Master Plan is to be undertaken in two phases. Phase-I will comprise of:-

3 Multipurpose Berths

Length of Berths 602m

4.5 Km long Approach Channel Dredged to 11.5m-12.5m.

Turning Basin 450m dia.

One 100m Service Berth.

Related port infrastructure and port handling equipment & Pilot Boat, Tugs, Survey Vessel etc.

The port will be equipped with the essential port handling equipment and other infrastructure required for smooth operations of a modern port. On completion of Phase-I, the Port will handle Bulk Carriers of upto 30,000 DWT and Container Vessels of 25,000 DWT. Phase-I will be completed at a cost of Rs.14.9 Billion (US$. 248/- Million) and will complete in 36 months i.e. March 3005.

Phase – II
This Phase of the Project is planned to be built on BOO/BOT basis at an estimated cost US$. 600 Million. It will comprise of 9 additional berths as per following details:-

http://www.gwadarnews.com/gwadarphotos/Gawader.jpg

4 Container Berths.

1 Bulk Cargo Terminal (to handle 100,000 DWT ships).

1 Grain Terminal.

1 Ro-Ro Terminal.

2 Oil Terminals to handle 200,000 DWT ships.

Phase II of the project involves construction of more berths on BOT basis including two container berths, one bulk cargo terminal, one grain terminal with capacity handling vessels up to 100,000 DWT, one roll on/ roll off terminal, two oil piers for vessels up to 200,000 DWT and future expansion of two container berths. On completion of the project, Gwadar Deep-sea port would be on of the world's most strategically located port in this part of the world.

On successful completion of Phase-I, it is anticipated that the private sector would come forward to invest in the second phase of the Project. It is envisaged that the complete development of such a Mega project will take 8-10 years depending on the active participation of the private sector.

Cost of The Project
Total amount equivalent to Rs 14.9 Billion (248 million US dollars) were approved by ECNEC for Phase-I of the project. The financial agreement for development of Phase-I was signed with the Govt. of China on 10 August 2001 under which the Chinese will provide US$. 198 Million and the Govt. of Pakistan will provide US$. 50 Million.

Chinese:

Grant US$ 18 Million.

New Grant Assistance US$ 31 Million.

New Interest Free Loan US$ 31 Million

Govt. Concessional Loan US$ 58 Million

Buyer’s Credit US$ 60 Million

Total US $ 198.00 Million

Pakistani:

Rs. 3000 Million (US 50.00 Million) in Local Currency.

Additional Development Cost:
Additional development costs were also envisaged for Electrical Supply 132 KV Transmission Line from Turbat to Gwadar at an approx cost Rs.360.00 million and a Railway line from Gwadar-Panjgoor-Dalbandin (515 Km) at approx cost of Rs.8, 500 million. This is however not a part of the sanction to the Gwadar Port Development Authority.

Human Resource
The Chinese have mobilized 450 personal from China and hired 512 local workmen as per following detail:-

Chinese: 450

Pakistani: 512

Civil Works and Infrastructure Development:
The design and construction of residential buildings and civil works of various port operation buildings and related infrastructure development is to be undertaken by Pakistani contractors and firms out of the US dollars 50 Million allocated for the Project. In this regard consultants have been hired and process for pre-qualification of contractors has commenced. Similarly, award of contract for the construction of residential area was approved by the MOC in June 2003 and the Contractor has already fully mobilized and a construction activity has started.

Master Plan of GWADAR:
Concurrent with the Port development a Master Plan of Gwadar has been approved by Balochistan Government through NESPAK and which has been a hot topic of discussions at various forums. Implementation of the Master Plan is the responsibility of Govt. of Balochistan. Physically no headway has been made so far which is a matter of concern.

The following potentials have been identified in the Master Plan of Gwadar Deep Sea-port Project:

Increased trade to and from Balochistan and Iran.

Trade potential from Central Asian countries through Afghanistan.

Transit cargo (liquid and dry bulk)

Warehousing and assembly industries (EPZ)

Oil storage, refineries, petrochemical industries etc.

Handle the shipping traffic of the region.

Gwadar Master Plan envisages development of about 18,600 hectares of land for this project including the followings:

Port development in Phase 1 & 11 on 400 hectares.

An Export Processing Zone of 74 hectares located on land adjacent to the port in East Bay.

A Special Industrial Zone of about 4,000 hectares lying to the north of the town.

An oil refinery of 1,000 hectares located to the north east of the town, linked to the proposed oil terminal by an
underground pipeline across East Bay.

A residential area of 400 hectares stretching north of the existing town along West Bay.

To bring Gwadar close to the national mainstream, 700 Km long Makran Coastal Highway is in advanced stage of implementation. It will link Gwadar with Pasni, Ormara and Karachi. An other regional linkage is the Gwadar Ratto-Dero motorway linking it with Indus Highway through Turbat, Awaran and Khuzdar. A rail link is also planned to connect Gwadar to Quetta and Zahidan. Civil Aviation Authority also plans to upgrade the existing length of runway from 5,000 ft to 15,000 ft for operation of wide bodied jet air-crafts. The extension work will begin by end August, 2003 and the extension facilities will be available for use by end 2004.

Investment Opportunities
Some of the evident investment opportunities:-

Master Plan related infrastructure i.e. internal roads & services, water and power and communication services for the new township and the Industrial Zone.

Private owned Ware Houses and Cold Storages.

Private cargo handling equipment and trucking yards.

Corporate Infrastructure i.e. offices for operating firms & agencies.

Development of Industrial Zone and Industries.

Development of Commercial/residential areas & buildings.

Labour related amenities for thousands of workers employed on developmental work of Great Gwadar.

Hotels & Motels.

Hospitals, Colleges & Schools.

Tourism related industry.

Marine related industry i.e. shipyards, dry dock and repair yards.

Marine Fuel bunkering for visiting ships to include large fuel storages and mobile barges etc.

Oil refinery and large oil storages.

Ferry services between Gwadar-Karachi/Oman/Bunder Abbas and UAE.

Industrial Export Processing Zone

Hinterland road; Gwadar – Rattodero Expressway (735 km) will pass through Turbat-Awaran-Khuzdar & Shahdad Kot.

Gwadar-Quetta (via Turbat-Panjgoor-Kharan-Nushki) requires to be widened and improved. This link road will reduce the distance to Quetta from 1090 km to 795 km.

Railway; Gwadar – Panjgoor-Dalbadin (515 km).

Gwadar-Afghanistan via Quetta by National Highway- N-25.

Potential Projects at GWADAR Port
Gwadar being unexplored territory till to date as far as business is concerned; a lot of business activities are possible. There are numerous businesses that offer sizeable profits for the investors in Gwadar. Few are mentioned as under:

1 Fish Processing 13 Shrimp farming, Shrimp /Lobsters
2 Crabs processing 14 Training services in Fisheries and Aquaculture
3 Cold storages, Ice factories 15 Port Management projects.
4 Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plants for profitable purpose 16 Hotels Restaurants & Resorts
5 Business Development 17 Date Processing
6 Service Providers 18 Canned food, Gravel Crush plant
7 Oil Palm cultivation (Govt. of Balochistan can provide land on easy terms) 19 Water sports center and recreation facilities.
8 Marine & Automobile repair workshop 20 Cluster for Internet service providers
9 Renewable Energy; wing, solar- IPP 21 Warehouses
10 Clearing & Forwarding agency 22 Boat building & naval architecture institute
11 Hospitals & Clinics 23 Oil Storage tankers.
12 Re-rolling Mills 24 Ferry Service for Karachi* Ormara-Pasni- Gwadar and up to Oman and Dubai

For more information of Gwadar Project Please contact the following Focal Person:

Gawadar Port
Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarfraz Khan (TIM)
Chairman
Gawadar Port Authority
2nd Floor, M.T. Khan Road, ENSC Building Karachi
Tel: 021-9202369 Res: 021-5878632 Fax: 021-9204050

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 06:25 PM

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.
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.

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.

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.

Historical Info
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.

Gawadar At A Glance
Gawadar 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 Gawadar, 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 Gawadar and Karachi in this way, is around 715 km.

Geo-Political Importance Of Gawadar
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, Gawadar proves to be the nearest and infact more cost-effective substitute of Dubai, from many aspects.

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, Gawadar 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 Gawadar port is infact in the interest of Chinese economy.

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, Gawadar being near to Iranian border will provide port facilities to Central Asia as well.

Geo-Economic Importance Of Gawadar
With a population of 160000, the Gawadar 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 Gawadar 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.

Gawadar 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.

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 06:29 PM

The "Makran Coastal Highway" Project
The Makran Coastal Highway project will help in establishing better commerce and trade relations with the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, particularly, the central Asian republics, besides, raising the living standard of the local people. Pakistan has a coastal belt of about 800-km from Karachi to the international border with Iran. The portion from Hub near Karachi up to Jiwani is called Makran Coast. There are small ports of Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and Jiwani along the coast.

The coastline, west of Karachi, was devoid of appropriate infrastructure since long, thereby, depriving the region of socio-economic development. In the past no government had ever paid any attention to the downtrodden masses of this area, whose economic conditions, if lifted through a little attention and some constructive work, could contribute to the entire economy of Pakistan.
Before last year, only a dirt track existed along the coast, which was a nightmarish journey, also creating hurdles in shipment of seafood to Karachi from Balochistan's coastal areas. "The development of Gwadar Port and infrastructure along the Makran Coast is key to boost the national economy," said Brig Shabbir Ahmed, Commander, Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), which is constructing the two sections of the highway.

Last year on July 17, the construction on section-I of the coastal highway -- Liari-Ormara -- was started and till now 40 km has been completed. The FWO, hopes to complete another 65 km road by October next. The work of Section-I is scheduled to complete by July 2003. After inauguration by Gen Pervez Musharraf on August 17, construction work on section-III -- Pasni-Gwadar -- will be started.

By July 1 this year, the FWO has completed following works: embankment - 105 km, sub-base - 61 km, base - 50 km, black top - 40 km, bridges - 6, culverts - 112 and sinology - 15 km. The start point of this section is Sajjad Shaheed Chowk, named after an Army soldier who died during initial reconnaissance, and the end point is Ormara.

The regional economy of this area is largely based on fishing with prospects of a substantial growth, following of fish harbour at several locations ie, Pasni, Gwadar etc. Impetus to the region will also be provided by the construction of the naval harbour at Ormara and the third deep-sea port of Pakistan at Gwadar. The construction of water storage dam on the Hingol River would also result in an increase in agricultural output in the area.

In addition tourism will also flourish as Makran Coastal Road project would link Karachi -- the gateway to Pakistan -- with coastal areas of the country. The Makran Coastal Road would provide an access to the Naval harbour base at Ormara and would also provide an easy access to newly emerged central Asian republics

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 06:38 PM

Gwadar's strategic importance
By Talat Masood

Ever since the creation of Pakistan, China has been clearly Pakistan's strongest supporter in the military, economic and diplomatic fields. The relationship has transcended major changes in both governments.

The people of Pakistan have demonstrated a sustained pro-China sentiment that has further strengthened the bonds. China has been an invaluable external source of military equipment and technologies to Pakistan, especially during the period when the United States and other countries imposed sanctions on this country.

Over the years a large number of collaborative projects in the field of defense have been completed that include manufacture of tanks, guns, missiles, patrol boats, communication equipment's, trainer and fighter aircraft and construction of nuclear power plants.

The Karakoram Highway linking the Chinese Xinjiang province is another landmark project between the two countries. Islamabad considers China a strategic partner and the Chinese have characterized their relationship with Pakistan as constructive partnership.

Semantics aside, maintaining a close relationship with an ascending power and close neighbor has always appealed to Pakistan's policy-makers across the political spectrum.

On the other hand, China recognizes Pakistan's geo-strategic importance, its eminence among the Muslim countries and its usefulness as an ally at the international forums. With the two countries enjoying such good relations it is no surprise that they have engaged in the development of the Gwadar port project.

The new port of Gwadar will supplement Karachi port and its Port Qasim extension, which was constructed in the late eighties. Karachi port handles nearly 50 million tons of cargo annually and with Pakistan's economy expected to grow at a minimum of six per cent annually, the volume of trade is projected to be around 75 million tons in the year 2015. The government has undertaken expansion programs at both ports to enable them meet the growing demand of trading and commercial activity.

Nonetheless, there is still need for an additional seaport to handle peak season overflow of incoming and outgoing sea cargo and to cater to the transit traffic flowing from Central Asian states and Afghanistan.

Equally significant is the defense requirement to repair and rebuild the redundant portion of the communication infrastructure. A single port complex is vulnerable during times of crisis or war.

The Gwadar project came about as a result of a Sino-Pakistan agreement in March 2002, under which China Harbor Construction Corporation will build the port. Beijing has provided $198 million for the first phase of the project and Islamabad's contribution has been $ 50 million. The scope of phase-1 includes construction of three multi-purpose berths each 200 meters long and capable of handling vessels up to 30,000 DWT.

As work is progressing satisfactorily, the first phase should be completed by early 2005. Phase two is planned for development by the private sector at an estimated cost of $600 million and envisages the development of ten more berths and a five kilometer approach channel and will take vessels up to 50,000 DWT.

By virtue of its excellent location, Gwadar port is also visualized to become a regional hub serving incoming and outgoing commercial traffic of the Middle Eastern and Gulf countries, the Xinjiang province of China, Iran in the west and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the south and east.

Its location at the mouth of the Gulf and at the opposite end of the strategic choke points of Straits of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman enhances its strategic importance. Its development could favorably influence the geo strategic environment of the region and have an overall beneficial impact on Pakistan.

Additionally, the port should facilitate efficient exploitation of the exclusive economic zone of Pakistan, which so far has remained largely unexplored. The area is rich in fisheries and if the 600-kilometre long coastal line is fully exploited it could give a big boost to fish and crab exports and promote food-processing industries. Lying in the vicinity of oil-rich Gulf states, Gwadar could also be a potential source of offshore gas and oil exploration.

The existing highways on the Afghan border, connecting the border towns of Chaman and Torkham provide the shortest all-weather road and rail links to Gwadar. These will have to be brought up to international standards if the part's potential of becoming a major economic and commercial centre is to be realized. Pakistan is already developing the road and highway network connecting Gwadar with its own major cities and ports through the 700-mile Mekran Coastal Highway.

The development of a comprehensive network of roads and other communication infrastructure would call for a lot of investment and would take a few years to complete. Similarly, rail and air services will have to be developed between Gwadar and other important commercial centres in Pakistan.

The development of the Gwadar port should benefit the overall economy of Balochistan and unlock its potential. Regrettably, the people of the area, and more so the tribal leaders, are not enthusiastic about the project and in fact some are actively opposing it.

Their fears are that outsiders, whether foreign or domestic, will undertake development work and threaten the identity and livelihood of the local inhabitants. Tribal leaders, who have monopolized power in this backward province are apprehensive of losing their hold over the people when the project materializes.

This would entail building consensus through a sustained and well-coordinated political process and winning the confidence of the local people. It is unfortunate that the government had given a low priority to this important aspect in the past. Moreover, Islamabad should also ensure that the short-term interests of the land mafia and other vested groups do not damage the genuine interests of the Baloch people.

As of now, most of the infrastructural development is related to coastal roads and linking Gwadar with Karachi. The government should pay equal if not greater attention to developing road and rail links from Gwadar to the hinterland of Balochistan so that the Balochs equally share the benefits of development.

Benefit of the Gwadar port is also directly linked to the stability in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Another prerequisite would be the physical infra-structural development in these countries. Linking Torkhum-Jalalabad and Chaman-Kandahar roads with modern highways will be in the mutual long-term interests of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to some sources, Beijing also intends to take advantage of Gwadar's accessible international trade routes to Central Asian republics and Xinjiang. The plan envisages extending China's east-west railway from the border city of Kashi to Peshawar.

The incoming and outgoing cargo from Gwadar can then be delivered to China through the shortest route from Karachi to Peshawar. The same road and rail network can also be used for the supply of oil from the Gulf to the western provinces of China.

Additionally, China could also gain rail and road access to Iran through Pakistan's internal road and rail network. Use of Gwadar port by China should accelerate the growth and development of the port and the hinterland and enhance its overall commercial and strategic value.

The Chinese have all along denied that the joint project of Gwadar has any military dimension and have stressed that it is a civilian port, but being a major importer of oil from the Gulf and mostly routed through this sea-lane it has a justifiable interest in having secure and uninterrupted flow of oil.

Occasional goodwill visits by its naval vessels and increased trade and commercial activity with Pakistan are likely to raise Chinese profile in the Arabian Sea.

As a matter of policy, China has always assisted Pakistan in strengthening its defence capability. Beijing's involvement in the Gwadar sea port is primarily motivated by commercial considerations, but it also perhaps sees the advantages accruing to Pakistan and its own navy for having a friendly port of call close to the Gulf region.

Together with this when a reliable network of road and rail links is established, it could benefit both Pakistan and China commercially as well as strategically.

From a defence perspective, Pakistan Navy would find it easier to operate closer to the Gulf. During times of crisis it could move its naval assets farther from any Indian naval and air threat.

In the event of an unfortunate war, the port of Gwadar would provide strategic depth to Pakistan's commercial and military vessels and be in a relatively advantageous position to operate against the Indian Navy. Gwadar is, however, well within the range of land-air and sea-based Indian missiles.

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 06:40 PM

Mega projects to benefit provincial economy

By Saleem Shahid

QUETTA: Balochistan is fast marching towards increased economic activity with the completion of some mega projects — the Gwadar Port and the Coastal Highway. Its people are already reaping the benefit of the Coastal Highway, although a small portion of it was destroyed in the recent flash floods and torrential rains. Balochistan will soon have its own seaport to handle cargo for the whole region. Both the president and the prime minister have taken a great deal of interest in Gwadar Port project in which land-locked countries of Central Asian Republics and some of the Gulf states are also showing interest. They are reportedly investing in the project which will give a fillip to trade and commerce in the whole region.

Saudi Arabia is interested in linking the Gwadar Port with the Saudi port to cater to the needs of travellers using sea routes to perform Umra. There were reports that the Saudis are interested in starting ferry service between Gwadar and the southern seaport of Saudi Arabia for Hujaj. Besides, they are also interested in livestock development and transporting the bulk cargo using the Gwadar Port.

The Coastal Highway is complete and has given a much-needed boost to local economy of Mekaran and Lasbela. The Mirani Dam is half complete and it will be a big source of fresh water for the port city of Gwadar. It will irrigate 32,000 acres in the Dasht Plains and recharge thousands of dead wells, karez and kans, bringing hundreds of thousands of acres under cultivation.

The Kachhi Canal is another important project that will ensure that Balochistan gets its share of water from the Indus. The canal, when completed, will bring more than 800,000 acres under cultivation in the Kachhi and Nasirabad region. This mega project would cost around Rs54 billion.

Undeterred by the tragic incident of May 2004 in Gwadar, the Chinese engineers and workers worked round-the-clock on the first phase of the Gwadar Port and completed it six months ahead of schedule. They did the same at Saindak and completed the project six months ahead of schedule. After completing the first phase of this key project they have offered bids for the construction to be carried out in the second phase.

At first, the locals, mostly fishermen, thought that the Coastal Highway would not be built beyond Ormara. They thought that the road was being built for strategic purposes only.

However, the president dispelled their misgivings and asked the ministry of communications to extend the Coastal Highway to Gwadar. Some feared that the government would not be able to release funds for the project on time, but their apprehensions turned out to be wrong.

The president of Pakistan and the Chinese prime minister are expected to inaugurate the newly-constructed Gwadar Port some time in April. Official sources said that Pakistan and China would sign an accord for the construction of the Gwadar Port in the second and final phase.

Some time back the government selected around 600 youths of the coastal areas of Balochistan and sent them to Islamabad and Karachi for necessary training. Another group of Baloch youths was also sent for specialized training. The government has also promised that technical training institutes would be set up in Gwadar.

The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and its subsidiary in Balochistan, Quetta Electric Supply Corporation (Qesco), also did an excellent job. Wapda laid a high-tension power transmission line linking the Pasni Power House with the port city of Gwadar. The second power transmission line is taken from Jiki Gwar in Iran to Gwadar via Mand, ensuring a double supply of power to Gwadar. For this, the government concluded an accord with Iran to buy electricity for Mekran. The Qesco is also ready to provide 40-mw of electricity to Gwadar. It also built high-tension power lines between Pasni Power Plant and Gwadar. It is a double-circuit line, ensuring a round-the-clock electricity supply.

Another important project is the construction of a new airport at Gwadar, which has been planned in view of the future needs of the new port city. However, the Civil Aviation Authority is yet to build the new airport or widen or strengthen the runway for large aircraft. It is a pity that the CAA is not keeping pace with other development agencies. How much time the CAA needs, is anybody’s guess.

Town planning and housing is another important factor of the new port city. The provincial government has constituted the Gwadar Development Authority and appointed Mir Ahmed Bakhsh Lehri as its director general. Many housing and commercial schemes were approved. Documents of applicants are being processed. Most of the housing schemes will have their own desalination plant it is hoped that Gwadar will not face a shortage of water.

The government has launched a slew of uplift projects in Balochistan. They will benefit different sectors of the provincial economy. They will boost production and generate enough employment for the people of the province. The projects are aimed at ending the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan. It is hoped that these mega projects will usher in an era of economic prosperity in the region.

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 06:46 PM

Transit trade Gwadar port to generate over $50 b
Date: 3/31/2004
Detail: Islamabad—The Gwadar deep-sea port, to be completed by March 2005, will have the potential to generate over $ 50 billion in transit trade annually in future. Official sources said after becoming fully operational along with strong communication and transport links with Central Asian States, Iran, western provinces of China and commercial cities of the country, an estimated two-thirds population of Balochistan will become part of port-related activities. The mega project which includes construction of three berths in the first phase will generate job opportunities for thousands of people. Having the potential to handle ships over 50,000 tons weight, the port will have huge cargoes for transiting to the Gulf region through smaller ships. Reports emanating from the Gulf region suggest that authorities there are keenly interested in the project and for its early completion as their over-saturated warm water ports cannot absorb further pressures. The sources said situated on mouth of the Gulf, the warm water Gwadar port will wait for transit of huge discovered and undiscovered estimated 2500 billion barrels of oil in Central Asian Region to different destinations as the fuel-thirsty nations are looking towards this region to meet their future needs. The nearest port for such facilities is this under-construction port. This port will become a gate-way for the region. It also offers special opportunity for land-locked Afghanistan. The sources said foreign consultants have been engaged to overview the plan prepared by the Nespak for the port city. Modifications are expected in the original plan.
Source by Pakistan Observer

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 06:49 PM

Oman has offered $100 million aid for the development of social and infrastructure facilities in Balochistan. Out of $100million, Oman has provided $7million for extending of runway at Gwadar Airport, construction of jetties, upgradation of Gwadar Hospital, provision of 100 engines to fishermen and construction of power house. Oman is also financing construction of Gwadar-Hoshab Road, water supply scheme in Gwadar area and construction of irrigation dams.
Pakistan and Oman have signed a number of agreements including Avoidance of Double Taxation, Promotion and Protection of Investment, Cultural, Technical and Educational Cooperation, Agreement on cooperation between Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry and FPCCI, Maritime Boundary Agreement and Agreement to establish Pak-Oman Joint Investment Company.

The proximity of Oman is an asset to Pakistan. Around 70,000 Pakistani citizens are participating in the development of Oman. Omani assistance for construction of Gwadar Port would go a long way in promoting economic relations between Gwadar-Pakistan and Central Asian States.

Pakistan through networking of roads is linking Gwadar with Karachi and the north to enable the Central Asian States to use Gwadar as a port for their trade. Water supply is being improved, seven jetties are being constructed and local fishermen are being given motor engine run boats. The local hospital is also being upgraded.

A number of electric power generation projects are also being carried out in Gwadar and in its surroundings. The Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), a subsidiary of the Wapda, has geared up the work for building the power transmission line. It is expected to be completed soon.

Airport

Gwadar has a small airport which is basically meant for fokker aircraft. The need is growing for the expansion of this airport and enlargement of its runway to facilitate the landing of wide body aero-planes. CAA has been directed to upgrade the Gwadar Airport for the landing of Airbuses by the end of 2004. Gwadar port will be open air and after its inauguration the jet planes shall be landing at the Gwadar airport. A sum of 2.3 million dollars is being utilized from Omani grant. The Pakistan government and the Civil Aviation Authority are also contributing additional Rs563.35 million for this purpose.

Dry port:

China wants to set up a dry port near the Pakistan-China border, so that western China could also benefit from the Gwadar seaport and it will create a ribbon of economic activity and hundreds of new jobs along the proposed highway linking Gwadar with the Karakoram highway in the north.

Rice Zone

Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP)-apex body of the rice exporters in the country- has decided to establish a rice zone in Gwadar to fetch the oppertunities in the area after the construction of new port. The establishment of warehouses will provide extraordinary facilities to rice exporters especially for those who export rice to iran as the Iranian border is only at a distance of three hours from Gwadar.

Saindak Copper Gold

The Saindak Copper Gold project is likely to start production in june 2003 by producing 12500 tons 'raw copper' daily. MRDL, a chinese company, is doing the whole work. To ensure successful implementation of the mega project modern machinery, including crushers, smelters and other plants have been installed in addition to a 50 MW power-house. 33 km railway line from Taftan to Saindak has also been laid. The Chinese company MRDL has so far invested $25 million (Rs 1.5 billion) on the project.
Trans-Afghan Gas Pipeline

The 1400km-long Trans-Afghan Gas Pipeline (TAP) from Turkemenistan to Gwadar(Pakistan), the long dormant project that hopes to pump Turkmen natural gas to markets in South Asia, is finally poised to step off the drawing board costing $3 billion.

swerveut

April 25th, 2005, 11:27 PM

Pakistan United you are plagiarizing a lot without giving links to the source articles. Please either quote the link from where you got your articles from or dont copy and paste. Further more, please use more discretion while posting.

UnitedPakistan

April 25th, 2005, 11:44 PM

I forgot to copy the stupid bottom half of the article thanks to a few ads on the site. All articles are from Source: gwadarnews.com. Thier is no discretion needed while posting in one bundled post, i know some of its already posted but we need one whole topic. You have disscussed this with me and i have cut down on some of the topics, but the topics i have posted a purely informative.

PS. i hope you understand

zees

April 27th, 2005, 06:29 PM

http://www.modeltowngwader.com/images/tsd_reality_image.jpghttp://www.modeltowngwader.com/images/tsd_potentials_image.jpghttp://www.modeltowngwader.com/images/tsd_opportunities_image.jpg

The most important issue on the international horizon of the contempoary world is economic. A few years back our Government accepting the steep future challenges, planned a cosmopolitan city at natural deep waters of Gwadar.

REALITY
The dream is about to become a reality as Karachi-Gwadar highway has already inaugrated. Deep sea port is completed Railway track and location for New Int'l airport are marked.
Jinnah Avenue, Marine Drive, Marine boulevard and Central boulevard are under construction.

POTENTIALS
Keeping in view access by CHINA and Central Asian States into the global markets through Gwadar huge business is expected. Business community around the globe has eyes set at Gwadar Rate of real estate has already grown by 250% during last 6 month in Gwadar.

http://www.modeltowngwader.com/images/tsd_locationmap_image.jpg
http://www.modeltowngwader.com/images/tsd_whymodeltown_title.gif
http://www.modeltowngwader.com/images/tsd_whymodeltown_txtenglish.gif

http://www.modeltowngwader.com/

Tom_Green

April 27th, 2005, 06:44 PM

This is Gwadar now, right?
http://www.suedasien.net/images/news/mai2003/gwadar_town.jpg

UnitedPakistan

April 27th, 2005, 06:46 PM

Thats slightly old because i believe 1 of the berths is complete

Tom_Green

April 27th, 2005, 06:46 PM

Thats slightly old because i believe 1 of the berths is complete

I found a bigger pic. How old is this ?
http://www.outlooktraveller.com/magazine/212/images/wh1.jpg

Gumnaam

April 27th, 2005, 07:09 PM

^^ Yeah...Tom Green, you are right, this is Gwadar at the moment but all this is about to change in a couple of years...5 to 10...may be 15. Gwadar port is a huge project and can't be completed at once, that's why Pakistan is developing it in phases in collaboration with China. The location of Gwadar is very strategic as it is the nearest port to Afghanistan and CARs and it is at the crossroad of Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. Gwadar is nothing at the moment but all this is about to change in the near future.

pakboy

April 27th, 2005, 07:09 PM

lol, they just copied model town from lahore.

Sultan

April 27th, 2005, 07:15 PM

Tom Green,

Those pictures of Gwadar are old. But the city is starting to change. New carpetted roads are being constructed, and the city is being linked by air, road, and rail with other parts of the country.

The city is starting to change, and it'll change over time.

You can find some new images of Gwadar taken off GEO Tv at the following link:

http://www.urbanpakistan.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=thumbnails&album=7

Not a very good render, but gives you an idea what Gwadar could look like in the future,

http://www.urbanpakistan.com/modules/coppermine/albums/Gwadar_GEO/681.jpg

Enjoy

Tom_Green

April 27th, 2005, 07:41 PM

Hmmm..........
I saw some threads with the name Gwadar in the titel before. This is the first i entered. I know the name since 3 months but i haven`t seen pics from the city. I searched with google and posted the pics i found.

You think very high of this city. What`s with the the citys that are right now very large, Lahore or Karachi for example?

Will this be just a port for trade or do they want to have tourists , too ?

I flew over Gwadar but it was night. >_<

UnitedPakistan

April 27th, 2005, 08:33 PM

Tom Green,

For more information you can refer to this thread

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=206039

zees

June 18th, 2005, 07:42 AM

Project Name
Finance Trade and Business Avenue
Creek City
New World City
Golden Palms
Marjan Beach Resort
Muscat Center
GDA Housing Scheme No. 5 Subzimandi
Makkah City
Gwadar Royal Garden
Green Palms
Platinum City
Globiz Avenue (Old West Bay)
Globiz Avenue Phase-II
Gwadar Creek Avenue
White Pealr City
Jinnah City
Zer Industrial
Hermain City
GDA Industrial Scheme No. 3 (PVT)
Model Town
Gwadar Madina City
Breeze Way Industrial and Cargo Village
Kohinoor Savannah [New]

Air Port
Gawadar has a small airport, which is basically meant for fokker aircraft. The need is growing for the expansion of this airport and enlargement of its runway to facilitate the landing of wide body aeroplanes. CAA has been directed to upgrade the Gawadar Airport for the landing of Airbuses by the end of 2004. Gawadar port will be open air and after its inauguration the jet planes shall be landing at the Gawadar airport. A sum of 2.3 million dollars is being utilized from Omani grant. The Pakistan government and the Civil Aviation Authority are also contributing additional Rs. 563.35 million for this purpose. The new international Air Port of Gawadar has been planned in the north east of the final master plan of Gawadar.

Dry Port
China wants to set up a dry port near the Pakistan-China border, so that western China could also benefit from the Gawadar seaport and it will create a ribbon of economic activity and hundreds of new jobs along the proposed highway linking Gawadar with the Karakoram highway in the north.

Rice Zone
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP)-apex body of the rice exporters in the country- has decided to establish a rice zone in Gawadar to fetch the opportunities in the area after the construction of new port. The establishment of warehouses will provide extraordinary facilities to rice exporters especially for those who export rice to Iran as the Iranian border is only at a distance of three hours from Gawadar.

Saindak Copper Gold
The Saindak Copper Gold project is in progress by producing 12500 tons 'raw copper' daily. MRDL, a Chinese company, is doing the whole work. To ensure successful implementation of the mega project modern machinery, including crushers, smelters and other plants have been installed in addition to a 50 MW powerhouse. 33 km railway line from Taftan to Saindak has also been laid. The Chinese company MRDL has so far invested $25 million (Rs 1.5 billion) on the project.

Trans Afghan Gas Pipe Line
The 1400km-long Trans-Afghan Gas Pipeline (TAP) from Turkmenistan to Gawadar (Pakistan), the long dormant project that hopes to pump Turkmen natural gas to markets in South Asia, is finally poised to step off the drawing board costing $3 billion.

Makran Coastal Highway
The 715 km Makran Coastal Highway linking Gwadar with Karachi on a 675-mile stretch is going to be lifeline of the Gawadar project. It will be completed in four phases. President Musharraf has already performed the groundbreaking ceremony of second phase under which the Frontier Works Organization is constructing Gawadar Pasni patch. Completion of this highway will open up the area exposing all business opportunities in Gawadar and on Makran coast to the international investors. It is certainly going to attract new townships and settlements of international investors, tourists, and workforce coming from distant lands. The Makran coastal highway will also link Karachi with Iran and, thus, open a new and shorter trade route between the two countries. Gaining access to the more lucrative but landlocked central Asian markets via Iran and Afghanistan is also on the cards.

Linking Cars
The Asian Development Bank has also announced financing for road projects, linking Pakistans Balochistan and Frontier provinces with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs), having a total cost of $500 million
Mirani Dam And Canals

Mirani dam construction is another major endeavor being made to develop water resources in the province. The WAPDA is working on the Mirani Dam Project. Its estimated cost is Rs 7.5 billion. More than Rs15 billion would be spent on this project for which the federal government has provided Rs2 billion in the fiscal year 2002-03. It is expected to irrigate 32,000 acres highly fertile and of Dasht Plains in the downstream while more than 20,000 acres in the upstream through recharge of hundreds of dead and old Kans (deep wells linked up from the bottom ensuring a greater flow of water for domestic use and farming).

pakboy

September 3rd, 2005, 07:44 PM

A 9 billion pak rupees project of 36 towers consisting of 1994 luxurious residential apartments. Classically designed 90 pent houses on top of the towers just to realize the phrase "heaven on earth".

Its not a mere residential heaven, infact, GDA Bolan Complex is a city itself, having its own school, hospital, commercial arcade, covered parking, desalination plant for clean drinking water, and all the other modern day amenities one could wish for.

The GDA Bolan Complex spreads over 160 Kanals of land and the site has access from the existing Coastal highway from the north, it is about 2.2 Kms, from the main hub of Gwadar, Zero point and 2.9 Kms. from Jinnah Avenue.
Coastline Developers (Pvt) Ltd. creatively combines a competent team of architects and planners, engineers and technical experts, construction management and business management personnel, trained labourers and technicians, all under one roof. Founded recently as a group of managers, architects and engineers inspired by life and living it self. Coastline Developers today professionally undertakes construction of skillfully crafted site and need specific bulidings, right from individual residences to huge buildings complexes.

We welcome you to a new world - GDA Bolan Complex. This is architecurally superior and provides best accommodation for investors and is a catalyst for trading activities. Main features are as follows:

Commercial Arcade
Studio Apartments
1, 2 & 3 Bed Luxury Apartments
Pent Houses
Sports & Recreational Facilities
Hospital
School
Desalination Plant
Sewerage Treatment Plant

Enjoy the relaxing days of beautiful sunshine, plan a barbecue, or enjoy the state-of-the-art facilities. GDA Bolan complex offers:
Gymnasium
Health club
Ladies Health club
Children play area
Community club
Swimming pool
Sauna
Jaccuzi
Bar BQ
Restaurants
Shopping Mall

Master Plan

http://www.gdabolancomplex.com/images/masterp_1.gif

http://www.gdabolancomplex.com/images/picturecommercial01.jpg

http://www.gdabolancomplex.com/images/3bedapartmentp1.jpg

http://www.gdabolancomplex.com/images/picture2beda.jpg

http://www.gdabolancomplex.com

Techno-Architect

September 3rd, 2005, 09:29 PM

renderings too small....cant say much abt 'em

NewYork-wala

September 3rd, 2005, 11:45 PM

I like the design... very nice..

Sultan

September 4th, 2005, 02:17 AM

When does construction begin on this project ?

zees

September 8th, 2005, 06:16 AM

The fast developing port city of Gawadar will have its first state of the art desalination plant with capacity of purifying 0.2 million gallons per day (MGD) water in next six months.

Associated Builders, a part of Hashoo Group conglomerate on Wednesday inked an agreement with Pure Water Technologies for installing this Rs100 million project.

Executive Director Associated Builder, Shah Mohammad Misbah and Director Technical Pure Water, Arshad Rashid, formally signed the agreement under aegis of Governor Baluchistan Owais Ahmed Ghani.

The Governor said that the project was a milestone considering non-availability of drinking water at the port. The plant is specifically aimed at providing drinking water to future residents of Golden Palm Housing Scheme a project of Associated Builders spreading over 1,000 acres.

Owais Ahmed Ghani lauded the efforts of private sector in promoting the policy of government to put the private builders in front line of development.

Shah Mohammad Misbah said that Pure Water the sole representative of Concorde Corodex Group of UAE was installing the project.

zees

September 8th, 2005, 02:59 PM

The government of Pakistan has decided to offer land and infrastructure to world class petroleum companies for setting up refineries in Gwadar to minimise country's oil import bill and Pakistan is also establishing oil refineries at Gwadar to refine oil of Gulf countries for international market.

pakboy

October 5th, 2005, 05:27 PM

This is a huge enourmus industrial zone planned in gwadar on the east bay, it is being planned as the most modern industrial zones. It has big wide roads running thourght it of 220 ft - 150 ft. This is the zone which can totaly turn around gwadar to make it a economical and business hub, it is a very important zone and will open up business's in the city.

RENDERINGS:

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/8159/home28po.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/2483/home34jf.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/5222/cp58og.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/1134/dg68co.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/462/ob120ps.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/9290/sf31sb.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/628/ub62xo.jpg

Hindustani

October 19th, 2005, 02:19 AM

Very nice.

hassandada

October 19th, 2005, 03:43 AM

sweet

Intoxication

October 19th, 2005, 01:54 PM

Looks wonderful

vc15nets

October 19th, 2005, 02:00 PM

:okay:

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:01 AM

Waiting for the Boom
Touted as a major port for Pakistan, Gwadar is a small fishing village with grand hopes

Images of Gwadar before Port Construction

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak1.jpg
FISH OF THE DAY: Children by Gwadar's west bay watch a boat bring in the daily catch

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak2.jpg
TOMORROW'S HOME: The still desolate project office for the Golden Palms luxury housing development

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak4.jpg
CONCESSIONS: A sweet vendor shop in Gwadar

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak5.jpg
GUNS OF HISTORY: The remains of a Portuguese gun tower face the east bay

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak7.jpg
HOLY GROUND: A Gwadar mosque

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak8.jpg
TOMORROW TODAY: An advertisement for the Creek City development project presents the future of Gwadar

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak11.jpg
BARBER OF GWADAR: Scene from a haircut in the village

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak12.jpg
FISHING THE FUTURE: A man in Gwadar works on his fishing boat, with the cliffs of the Hammerhead in the distance

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak13.jpg
DREAMS MEET REALITY: An advertisement for the Golden Palms development project, with the dry scrub land it will hopefully transform in the background

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak14.jpg
ENGINES OF PROGRESS: A bulldozer waits to work at a construction office

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/photoessays/images/pak16.jpg
SEASIDE: A beachside kiosk and its vendor await the future tourist hordes

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:05 AM

There is no electricity in my house as I pack my bags. A sudden windstorm has damaged a power transformer on my street in Lahore, so I am forced to hunt through my sock drawer in flickering candlelight. But I am excited, because I am embarking on a search for paradise, in a place called Gwadar.

Pakistan today is a country of enormous potential and enormous uncertainty. There is much to be hopeful about. Peace with India is being discussed. Property prices and the stock market are booming. On the television are a dozen recently launched local channels, ranging from news to music to fashion. But at the same time, Pakistan remains desperately poor. School enrollment is among the lowest in Asia. Militant religious groups remain a grave threat. And the fate of the country is tied closely to that of one man, President Pervez Musharraf, a regular target for assassins.

Like many Pakistanis caught between optimism and nervousness, I am constantly seeking sources of encouragement, signs that life here will continue to change for the better. Symbols are important to me, and my mood tends to brighten after each victory of the national cricket team, each announcement of improving economic data.

So I am thrilled to be going to Gwadar, a small fishing village on the Arabian Sea in Pakistan's largest but most sparsely populated province, Baluchistan. Gwadar is said to be Pakistan's great boomtown, a place of incredible beauty and unparalleled opportunity. Chinese engineers are building a $250 million deepwater port there with the potential to link all of Afghanistan and Central Asia to the sea. Newspapers are filled with articles predicting that Gwadar will become the "Dubai of Pakistan" and with advertisements trumpeting pictures of under-construction luxury hotels and residential communities.

As I leave my house, I step into a cool breeze, the pleasant aftermath of the day's storm. My flight to Karachi, where I will spend the night before connecting to Gwadar, is smooth and uneventful. But a friend who has come to pick me up from the airport tells me that Karachi is tense. A few hours earlier, terrorists attacked a Shia mosque in the city, killing 15 worshippers.

It is not an auspicious beginning to my search for paradise.

large group of foreign-looking people traveling in Pakistan is an uncommon sight, so I am not surprised that many of my fellow countrymen are staring at the Chinese engineers sitting beside me the following morning in the departure lounge of Karachi airport. But the smiles that the Chinese are receiving, the handshakes and words of support from complete strangers, do surprise me.

As I listen to the brief conversations taking place in broken English between Pakistanis and Chinese, I begin to understand. A car bomb has killed three Chinese engineers in Gwadar. The Pakistanis in the lounge are expressing their gratitude for the work the Chinese are doing and for their decision to persevere despite the attack. "Pakistan, China, good friends," a middle-aged Chinese man says to an elderly Pakistani, who looks pleased to hear it. I am pleased, too. Pakistan's friends are few and far between these days. Much of the world seems to look on our country with a mixture of suspicion and fear. But these Chinese engineers appear calm, professional and not in the least resentful or hostile.

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/2004/journey/images/pakistan.gif

Gwadar's runway is too short to accommodate a modern Boeing or Airbus, so we board an ancient, propeller-powered Fokker. We take off with a roar. In just a few minutes, the urban sprawl of Karachi has given way to the arid and rugged Baluchistan coast, a muscular, bony land edged by the cool blue of the sea. I find myself trying to visualize Gwadar, playing with images of other seaside paradises I have visited. Bali comes to mind, and Portofino, but I dismiss the first as too green and the second as too wealthy. Perhaps Gwadar will be like Mykonos, with its whitewashed buildings and dry coastline.

"Are you going to buy property?" asks the man in the seat beside me as he opens a metal briefcase and takes out brochures covered with hand-written notes.

"No, I'm looking for paradise," I say, adding, "for an article I'm writing. Is Gwadar as lovely as people say?"

"The port is almost done. And soon they will complete the coastal highway to Karachi. Now is the time to buy."

"Yes, but what does it look like?"

He is distracted by a flight attendant, who has brought us sandwiches. Then he begins entering figures into a calculator. I decide not to ask him again.

There are small airports around the world that have the immediate effect of making the tourist relax, secure in the knowledge that he or she has indeed arrived in paradise. Gwadar's airport is not one of them. Men in uniform with automatic weapons guard the perimeter and far outnumber those civilians who have come to receive passengers. Also, there are no taxis. Instead, there are for-hire Toyota 4x4 pickup trucks that look like the vehicles Taliban fighters drove in TV footage of the 2001 Afghanistan campaign.

I nod to the driver of one of these, negotiate a rate and hop in. I ask him to show me sights he thinks are particularly beautiful.

"Do you want to buy land?" he asks me.

"No. I'm a writer. I want to see places you think are unusual. I want to know their stories, the stories of your area."

"I will take you to where land is a million rupees an acre."

"I'm not here to buy land."

My driver, Faisal, insists again, and eventually I give in. We race out into the desert on a remarkably smooth road. Suddenly, he stops. "Here," he says.

I look around. Empty desert stretches out in every direction. In the distance, sharp hills mark the horizon. "What is this?" I ask, puzzled.

"Good land."

I see sand, stones and some scraggly bushes.

Faisal tells me that there will soon be houses, and he points to a network of pylons and wires snaking off to our left to show me that there is already electricity. When I ask if he really thinks the city will reach this far inland, he says Gwadar will be huge one day and that this will be near the center.

Faisal takes me to Golden Palms, a luxury development I have seen gleaming from numerous advertisements in Lahore. When we arrive, I see a sign with the words "Golden Palms—Bringing Dreams to Life," a single-room shack announcing itself as the site office and what appears to be empty desert except for rows of white stakes in the ground.

For the first time, I begin to wonder if Gwadar could be just a mirage, a speculative boom built on flimsy fundamentals. But I don't want to believe that. I've come here looking for hope. So I tell myself that I'm no urban planner or civil engineer. All this really could be a paradise waiting to be born.

Much to my relief, the town of Gwadar is indeed spectacular in its setting. Its low, rough buildings fill a slender isthmus stretching out into the sea and culminating in a massive, cliff-ringed hammerhead of rock. The port nestles beside these cliffs, wonderfully protected from the open water, and on either side, gentle bays curve away in long stretches of beach that lead eventually to steep, sharp-edged mountains.

But physical beauty aside, Gwadar is essentially a poor fishing village, a rough-and-ready little settlement with a very visible paramilitary presence. Women are kept well covered and do not often stray into public areas frequented by men. There is little evidence that much work on the luxury hotels I've read about has even begun.

As I walk along the beach one afternoon, watching the day's catch being off-loaded from small wooden boats onto carts pulled by donkeys knee-deep in the surf, a local boy named Abdul strikes up a conversation with me, asking if I have come to buy land. I shake my head and ask him what he thinks of the new hotels that will be built here.

"We are excited," he says. "We want people to come. I am a good swimmer. I can teach them to swim. I will tell them not to be scared of the sea snakes."

"Are they poisonous?"

"One bite and a grown man is dead."

There is excitement in Abdul's eyes as he talks about the future. But try as I might, I just don't see it. I cannot imagine a tourist paradise developing here, in a place where women are not allowed to do their shopping outside of the women's section of the market, let alone put on swimming suits and venture out into the sea, and where lethal sea snakes lurk beneath the waves.

Yet, there is undeniable beauty here. Offshore, protected from the open sea by the cliff-lined bay, Gwadar's fishing fleet bobs on the sparkling water. Beyond the horizon, not far away, are Oman, Iran and the oil wealth of the Persian Gulf. Perhaps I am missing something. Perhaps there really is reason to be hopeful. After all, even in the Garden of Eden, paradise was home to a serpent.

I escape the afternoon heat by taking a nap in my modest but clean motel, apparently the nicest place to stay in the bazaar. When I wake, I go for an evening stroll. Despite my earlier disappointment with the lack of visible activity at the large new property developments, Gwadar is certainly changing. Small signs of growth abound, with many houses and shops in the process of adding second and even third floors.

On closer inspection, Gwadar has much one would not expect to find in a poor fishing village. There is a place called the Global Internet Cafe, for example, and a video-game arcade packed with young kids in colorful T shirts. There are restaurants with televisions connected to satellite dishes, numerous public call offices offering international dialing and fax services, and even more numerous establishments advertising themselves as property dealers. There is also an amazing absence of seafood.

In the main square, I take a seat on a wooden bench under the night sky near a sign offering dishes of chicken and lamb. The owner of the restaurant comes to me, and after inquiring politely if I want to buy land, asks me for my order.

"Why don't any of the restaurants here serve seafood?" I ask him.

He laughs. "We can if you wish. But it is best to tell us the night before, so we can buy it fresh when it comes in. You see, we used to eat mostly fish. But now our fish commands such a high price that it is auctioned at the harbor and sent off for export. With the price we get, we can buy enough chicken for two men with a fish that would feed only one."

He seems pleased by this. My fellow diners are devouring chicken with such enthusiasm that I suspect they do not mind the change in their diet. Trade has brought them increased prosperity and access to goods they could not previously afford. That may not be the paradise I had in mind, the sanitized and glamorous paradise of a world-class tourist resort. But it is certainly a kind of paradise nonetheless, something for which most of Asia's billions pray every day.

On the morning of my flight back to Karachi, I am informed by Pakistan International Airlines that although my ticket says I have a confirmed seat, I do not in fact have one. I go to a public call office and phone Lahore and Karachi, trying to find someone who can sort out this problem. But it is a weekend, and I have limited success until a local man sipping a cup of tea beside me intervenes on my behalf. His name is Babu, and in addition to being a property dealer, he is also a telephone repairman. "Everyone knows me," he says. "And they all owe me a favor."

He takes my ticket and drives off on his motorcycle. Fifteen minutes later he is back, and my problem has been solved. I thank him, and we get to talking. I ask him what he thinks of the plans for Gwadar's future. "We are very happy," he tells me. "Here there has been no development for so long. We don't even have a hospital. Pakistan had forgotten about us. But now things are changing."

I remember walking along the beach a few days earlier and seeing the shattered glass that marked the site of the recent car bombing. I ask Babu why, if the people of Gwadar are so happy about the project, someone targeted the Chinese. "It was not one of us," he says. "But outsiders sometimes come. Strange people from Afghanistan and Peshawar and Islamabad. They do not come for business. We do not know why they are here. But I know that we did not do this thing to the Chinese."

He invites me to his home for lunch, and I eat with the men of his family. I ask them about reports I have read that tribal leaders in Baluchistan are opposed to the development of Gwadar, because they fear it will only benefit non-Baluch outsiders. They admit that this is true for some of the inland Baluch tribes, but not for the people of Gwadar itself. That said, they also tell me that they are disappointed that locals have so far been given few jobs. "We want other Pakistanis to come here and invest," Babu says. "But we should not be excluded. It will not be fair to us if outsiders buy all our land and leave us without work."

I think about this on the flight back to Karachi as my Fokker bucks and rears through a turbulent sky. I hope that there is indeed a plan to make sure the locals continue to benefit and that Gwadar does not become just a speculative game for the rest of Pakistan. Because although I did not on this trip find the paradise I was looking for, I did find what could be a source of hope for thousands of poor people in Baluchistan if Gwadar is managed correctly.

My search for paradise in Gwadar only reinforced my feeling that Pakistan is a land of both potential and uncertainty. This is not surprising, I tell myself as my Fokker banks sharply and comes in to land. After all, in the Sufi tradition, a successful quest for paradise always takes the searcher back to himself.

Hey ..here are more pictures of Gwadar.

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UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:06 AM

Gwadar in the future
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UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:06 AM

New world-class airport announced: Shaukat visits Gwadar

GWADAR (September 18 2005): The government has decided to construct a new international airport at Gwadar with state-of-the-art facility having world-class standard. This was announced by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz who was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Gwadar Industrial Estate on Saturday.

He said that till the completion of the new international airport the existing airport is being upgraded, and necessary facilities were being provided so that there could be frequent communication between Karachi and Gwadar. Shaukat Aziz said that the Gwadar will not only be an industrial hub, but also attract tourist since it has got great potential for tourism.

He said that this is a historic day and pointed out that six years ago when President General Pervez Musharraf took over power he saw a dream of making a world class port in Gwadar and added that today we are seeing this dream becoming a reality.

He said that the President took up the matter of building of Gwadar port with Prime Minister of China who readily agreed to the proposal, so this port is a gift of China. The Prime Minister said that the seaports change the destiny of regions and countries.

He pointed out that six years ago, the President promised roads for Gwadar and that promise has been fulfilled with the construction of Coastal Highway which goes up to north and shall be a crucial link for Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Shaukat Aziz said, "We have to open our minds and allow foreign investors to come up with their investment which will usher in an era of prosperity and help create employment opportunities."

The Prime Minister said that in case the local skilled labour was not available we should welcome with open heart skilled people from other regions for development, progress and prosperity of Gwadar, which is not only in the interest of the-people of Gwadar and Balochistan, but also in the interest of Pakistan.

Shaukat Aziz announced that the federal government will establish Export Processing Zone in Gwadar on fast-track basis and will extend Coastal Highway up to Iran to promote trade and commerce with it.

In this connection, the Prime Minister said that import of gas from Iran will transform Balochistan and a decision on gas pipeline project with Iran after consideration of all aspects will be made in the national interest.

He said that local bodies' elections have demonstrated that people have rejected anti-development and negative forces.

Shaukat Aziz announced Rs 10 million for water supply to Gwadar and in response to demand of Balochistan chief minister Jam Mohammed Yousuf for desalination plant, he said that the government will bear half of the cost of desalination plant which will be grant of federal government.

Earlier, in his welcome address Jam Mohammed Yousuf said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's contribution towards development of Gwadar and construction of port here are laudable and commendable.

He said that it seemed like a dream but Shaukat Aziz has made it a reality.

On the occasion, Balochistan governor Owais Ghani, federal ministers Zobaida Jalal and Naseer Mengal were also present.

Meanwhile, groundbreaking ceremony of Gwadar Port Civic Centre was also held on Saturday.

In his speech at the ceremony the Prime Minister said that the federal government was spending a record Rs 134 billion on mega projects for development in Balochistan.

"This has never happened in the history of Balochistan that such mega projects were ever carried out at one time," Shaukat Aziz noted, amid applause.

Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf, Minister for Port and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri, Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zobaida Jalal and Minister for Petroleum Naseer Mengal were also present on the occasion.

He said that this year Rs 21 billion had been allocated under annual development programme for Balochistan, which was about 10.5 percent of total outlay. "This is more than the share of Balochistan, in terms of population ratio to other provinces," he added.

Shaukat Aziz directed the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) to complete construction of Civic Centre within 18 months and undertake construction work on its own and not on built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

He said that minister of ports and shipping Babar Khan Ghauri was a man of action and he would ensure that work is completed in the stipulated time.

He said that this is a costly project and will be a model Civic Centre in the country, having offices, bank branches, utility store and residential blocks.

He announced the establishment of USC store in Gwadar, saying that it would be operational before the start of Ramazan.

He said that 500 out of 1000 houses would be given to fishermen at the housing scheme in Sur Bandar area.

Shaukat said he wants to take Pakistan on the road of development and prosperity and added that never in the history of Pakistan such development schemes were carried out by any government.

He said that people have been witnessing progress on these projects and therefore they would reject pessimistic elements.

The Prime Minister said that Gwadar Port would generate economic activity in the area and road network would connect it with Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia as the most important route in the region for transportation.

The Prime Minister said that the federal government would spend all money on development projects as the government has decided to federalise the schemes for rapid progress on these projects.

He said the second phase of Gwadar Port would start after completion of Phase-I. The GPA has been asked to make this port operational and market its facilities.

Shaukat advised the people of Balochistan to welcome investment in Gwadar. "The world has changed and this is the era of globalisation and you must welcome investors in Gwadar," he added.

The Prime Minister said that investment would open avenues for further development and generate job opportunities in Gwadar.

He said the government was working on a project to attract tourists to Gwadar. He said: "Hotels are coming up very fast, and I am happy to see new hotels in Gwadar, especially Pearl Continental Hotel."

He said that first flight of new ATR aircraft of PIA, replacing Fokkers, would land at Gwadar airport. "I have asked PIA to use this new aircraft on Karachi-Gwadar route," he added amid applause.

Addressing Senator Ismail Buledi, the Prime Minister in a lighter mood said that opposition "also supports our good work". He said the opposition should make positive criticism and also suggest remedies to help the government in the redressal of the problems.

He said that government wanted to set up a mega refinery at Gwadar to refine crude and supply in the region. [COLOR=blue]It would be a mega project and would take time. But the thinking on this project should start now, he noted.

He said that Balochistan government should further improve its governance and bring in more transparency in the working. The Prime minister noted that Balochistan has vast potential for development in agriculture, energy, livestock, mining, fisheries sectors and the government would explore all potential. "These sectors will generate employment opportunities."

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2005

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:07 AM

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Gwadar Port UnderConstruction - Pakistan's New Economic Frontier

Picture taken from far far away !

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Along the Mekran Coast

Driving from Karachi to Gwadar along the Mekran coast on the MCH (Mekran Coastal Highway) - South Western Pakistan.

Pictures taken by Montesir Shirazi.

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A natural Sphynx - created by errosion

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Princess of Hope

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Sunset in Gwadar

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Diverse Pakistani landscape

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UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:19 AM

Gwadar will become region’s economic hub: official

ISLAMABAD: Gwadar will be an economic hub and trade centre in the region in the days ahead.

Speaking in a television programme on Saturday, Additional Chief Secretary Balochistan Qayyum Nazir Changezi said Gwadar would be a centre not only for Gwadar itself, but also for the province and the country. It would also be a centre for Afghanistan and the Central Asian States as well. He pointed out that Gwadar is naturally located at a site that suits to all of these areas.

He said the first phase of the Gwadar project, comprising three berths, had been completed with a cost of Rs 16 billion. Further digging is going on to deepen these berths further for the anchoring of big ships. Replying to a question, he said more berths would be constructed in the second phase and Gwadar would become a very big port of this area after they are completed, as they were being prepared in accordance with the international standards and with the latest facilities. He said five big ships would anchor in the port at a time after the completion of the second phase.

"Gwadar port will prove to be a multi-dimensional centre and will play a pivotal role in the development of the region," he said replying to a query.

He told the interviewer that communication network to link Gwadar with other provinces of the country, Afghanistan, Iran and other Central Asian states was being improved and strengthened.

Special attention was also being given for providing railway link to Gwadar, he said adding that new roads were being constructed with the expansion of the existing road network for the area.

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:22 AM

Gwadar port to play vital role in national development

Shahid Karimullah

KARACHI: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah Monday said with the functioning of Gwadar port Makran belt will become hub of economic activities and play vital role for the development of country.

There has been a lot of improvement on the Makran belt, he said while addressing the naval officers and sailors during his visit to Pakistan Navy units in the coastal areas as part of his farewell programme.

'Pakistan Navy's responsibilities have also increased simultaneously and I have full faith that in future as well Pak Navy with discharge its duties with full devotion and honesty," he added.

Shahid Karimullah acknowledged the efforts and dedication of naval personnel with which they are performing the sacred task of defending maritime frontiers of the country.

By carrying out relief operations during natural calamities and setting up free medical camps, Pakistan Navy has earned lot of respect in the eyes of local populace, he said.

"We will continue to do whatever we can in our capacity for the betterment of locals and recent establishment of school at Ormara is also one such effort," he said.

Admiral Shahid Karimullah was given a traditional naval send off from Jinnah Naval Base Ormara.

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:22 AM

Romania interested in refineries

KARACHI: Some private Romanian companies have shown keen interest in setting up refineries in Gwadar besides looking for other opportunities to initiate joint ventures.

This was stated by Ionel Mantog, leader of a 14-member Romanian state delegation here on Saturday.

According to a spokesman for the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), the Romanian delegate, however, said they could not sign any agreement in that regard as his country was driven by the private sector. His delegation also included representatives of various industries.

A representative from the refinery sector showed interest and was studying options after visiting Balochistan a day earlier.

Mantog said the objective of the delegation was to attract foreign investment as his country offered golden opportunities to foreign investors.

Earlier, addressing the members of the KCCI, he said there was a special government body which provided assistance to foreign investors and guided them about formalities and legal requirements besides apprising them of available opportunities.

He said the delegation included representatives from coal, oil and gas, cement, textile and light engineering sectors, who were interested to see the opportunities and possibilities of joint ventures as well as trade relations. He said Romania produced a variety of goods which Pakistan imported from other countries and added "bilateral trade between Pakistan and Romania can increase manifold".

He said "Romania is a member of the European Union and Pakistani investors by putting up a factory in Romania can export to the European Union."

He said his country had 100 per cent equity ratio and investors could remit the capital as per profit.

Earlier, KCCI President Khalid Firoz said Pakistan and Romania had very close and cordial relations and in recent years, institutional framework had been strengthened and exchange of trade delegations and individual businessmen had increased. He said the Romanian side invited Pakistani companies to invest in Romania particularly in textile, leather, food processing and any other sector of interest.

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:25 AM

Recent Projects

Finance Trade and Business Avenue Creek City
New World City Golden Palms
Marjan Beach Resort Muscat Center
GDA Housing Scheme No. 5 Subzimandi
Makkah City Gwadar Royal Garden
Green Palms Platinum City
Globiz Avenue (Old West Bay) Globiz Avenue Phase-II
Gwadar Creek Avenue White Pealr City
Jinnah City Zer Industrial
Hermain City GDA Industrial Scheme No. 3 (PVT)
Model Town Gwadar Madina City
Breeze Way Industrial and Cargo Village
Kohinoor Savannah [New]
For further details Like
(Type of Scheme, Total Area, Appl. Date, Owner Name, Cont. No., NOC No. & Date and Status) about above projects you can contact Gwadar News at Info@gwadarnews.com.

Water supply
Water supply is being improved, seven jetties are being constructed and local fishermen are being given motor engine run boats.

Electric Power Supply
A number of electric power generation projects are also being carried out in Gawadar and in its surroundings. The Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), a subsidiary of the WAPDA, has geared up the work for building the power transmission line. It is expected to be completed. A power station of 132 KV is under construction.

Air Port
Gawadar has a small airport, which is basically meant for fokker aircraft. The need is growing for the expansion of this airport and enlargement of its runway to facilitate the landing of wide body aeroplanes. CAA has been directed to upgrade the Gawadar Airport for the landing of Airbuses by the end of 2004. Gawadar port will be open air and after its inauguration the jet planes shall be landing at the Gawadar airport. A sum of 2.3 million dollars is being utilized from Omani grant. The Pakistan government and the Civil Aviation Authority are also contributing additional Rs. 563.35 million for this purpose. The new international Air Port of Gawadar has been planned in the north east of the final master plan of Gawadar.

Dry Port
China wants to set up a dry port near the Pakistan-China border, so that western China could also benefit from the Gawadar seaport and it will create a ribbon of economic activity and hundreds of new jobs along the proposed highway linking Gawadar with the Karakoram highway in the north.

Rice Zone
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP)-apex body of the rice exporters in the country- has decided to establish a rice zone in Gawadar to fetch the opportunities in the area after the construction of new port. The establishment of warehouses will provide extraordinary facilities to rice exporters especially for those who export rice to Iran as the Iranian border is only at a distance of three hours from Gawadar.

Saindak Copper Gold
The Saindak Copper Gold project is in progress by producing 12500 tons 'raw copper' daily. MRDL, a Chinese company, is doing the whole work. To ensure successful implementation of the mega project modern machinery, including crushers, smelters and other plants have been installed in addition to a 50 MW powerhouse. 33 km railway line from Taftan to Saindak has also been laid. The Chinese company MRDL has so far invested $25 million (Rs 1.5 billion) on the project.

Trans Afghan Gas Pipe Line
The 1400km-long Trans-Afghan Gas Pipeline (TAP) from Turkmenistan to Gawadar (Pakistan), the long dormant project that hopes to pump Turkmen natural gas to markets in South Asia, is finally poised to step off the drawing board costing $3 billion.

Makran Coastal Highway
The 715 km Makran Coastal Highway linking Gwadar with Karachi on a 675-mile stretch is going to be lifeline of the Gawadar project. It will be completed in four phases. President Musharraf has already performed the groundbreaking ceremony of second phase under which the Frontier Works Organization is constructing Gawadar Pasni patch. Completion of this highway will open up the area exposing all business opportunities in Gawadar and on Makran coast to the international investors. It is certainly going to attract new townships and settlements of international investors, tourists, and workforce coming from distant lands. The Makran coastal highway will also link Karachi with Iran and, thus, open a new and shorter trade route between the two countries. Gaining access to the more lucrative but landlocked central Asian markets via Iran and Afghanistan is also on the cards.

Linking Cars
The Asian Development Bank has also announced financing for road projects, linking Pakistans Balochistan and Frontier provinces with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs), having a total cost of $500 million
Mirani Dam And Canals

Mirani dam construction is another major endeavor being made to develop water resources in the province. The WAPDA is working on the Mirani Dam Project. Its estimated cost is Rs 7.5 billion. More than Rs15 billion would be spent on this project for which the federal government has provided Rs2 billion in the fiscal year 2002-03. It is expected to irrigate 32,000 acres highly fertile and of Dasht Plains in the downstream while more than 20,000 acres in the upstream through recharge of hundreds of dead and old Kans (deep wells linked up from the bottom ensuring a greater flow of water for domestic use and farming).

prsn41ife

January 10th, 2006, 01:26 AM

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wow, all those skyscrapers are already planned? are they u/c?

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:29 AM

Thats a representation of what the west bay might look like...

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:32 AM

Gwadar Industrial Zone - Shankhani Dar

RENDERINGS:

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UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:34 AM

Benefits

Besides the Geostrategic importance mentioned earlier, some of the evident economic benefits of the development of Gwadar Port are:

Capitalize on opportunities for trade with landlocked Central Asian States and Afghanistan.

Promote trade and transport with Gulf States.

Trans-shipment essentially of containerized cargo.

Unlock the development potential of hinterland.

Diversion of influx of human resources from up country to Gwadar instead of Karachi.

Socio economic uplift of the province of Balochistan.

Establishment of shipping related industries.

Oil storage, refinery and petrochemicals

Export Processing and Industrial Zones

Reduce congestion & dependency on existing Ports Complex at Karachi/PQA.

Serve as an alternate port to handle Pakistani trade in case of blockade of existing ports.

Will become a Regional Hub for major trade and commercial activities.

Scope of Work

The development of Gwadar Deep Sea Port as per approved PC-I and Master Plan is to be undertaken in two phases. Phase-I will comprise of:-

3 Multipurpose Berths

Length of Berths 602m

4.5 Km long Approach Channel Dredged to 11.5m-12.5m.

Turning Basin 450m dia.

One 100m Service Berth.

Related port infrastructure and port handling equipment & Pilot Boat, Tugs, Survey Vessel etc.

The port will be equipped with the essential port handling equipment and other infrastructure required for smooth operations of a modern port. On completion of Phase-I, the Port will handle Bulk Carriers of upto 30,000 DWT and Container Vessels of 25,000 DWT. Phase-I will be completed at a cost of Rs.14.9 Billion (US$. 248/- Million) and will complete in 36 months i.e. March 3005.

Phase – II

This Phase of the Project is planned to be built on BOO/BOT basis at an estimated cost US$. 600 Million. It will comprise of 9 additional berths as per following details:-

4 Container Berths.

1 Bulk Cargo Terminal (to handle 100,000 DWT ships).

1 Grain Terminal.

1 Ro-Ro Terminal.

2 Oil Terminals to handle 200,000 DWT ships.

Phase II of the project involves construction of more berths on BOT basis including two container berths, one bulk cargo terminal, one grain terminal with capacity handling vessels up to 100,000 DWT, one roll on/ roll off terminal, two oil piers for vessels up to 200,000 DWT and future expansion of two container berths. On completion of the project, Gwadar Deep-sea port would be on of the world's most strategically located port in this part of the world.

On successful completion of Phase-I, it is anticipated that the private sector would come forward to invest in the second phase of the Project. It is envisaged that the complete development of such a Mega project will take 8-10 years depending on the active participation of the private sector.

Cost of The Project

Total amount equivalent to Rs 14.9 Billion (248 million US dollars) were approved by ECNEC for Phase-I of the project. The financial agreement for development of Phase-I was signed with the Govt. of China on 10 August 2001 under which the Chinese will provide US$. 198 Million and the Govt. of Pakistan will provide US$. 50 Million.

Chinese:

Grant US$ 18 Million.

New Grant Assistance US$ 31 Million.

New Interest Free Loan US$ 31 Million

Govt. Concessional Loan US$ 58 Million

Buyer’s Credit US$ 60 Million

Total US $ 198.00 Million

Pakistani:

Rs. 3000 Million (US 50.00 Million) in Local Currency.

Additional Development Cost:

Additional development costs were also envisaged for Electrical Supply 132 KV Transmission Line from Turbat to Gwadar at an approx cost Rs.360.00 million and a Railway line from Gwadar-Panjgoor-Dalbandin (515 Km) at approx cost of Rs.8, 500 million. This is however not a part of the sanction to the Gwadar Port Development Authority.

Human Resource

The Chinese have mobilized 450 personal from China and hired 512 local workmen as per following detail:-

Chinese: 450

Pakistani: 512

Civil Works and Infrastructure Development:

The design and construction of residential buildings and civil works of various port operation buildings and related infrastructure development is to be undertaken by Pakistani contractors and firms out of the US dollars 50 Million allocated for the Project. In this regard consultants have been hired and process for pre-qualification of contractors has commenced. Similarly, award of contract for the construction of residential area was approved by the MOC in June 2003 and the Contractor has already fully mobilized and a construction activity has started.

Master Plan of GWADAR:

Concurrent with the Port development a Master Plan of Gwadar has been approved by Balochistan Government through NESPAK and which has been a hot topic of discussions at various forums. Implementation of the Master Plan is the responsibility of Govt. of Balochistan. Physically no headway has been made so far which is a matter of concern.

The following potentials have been identified in the Master Plan of Gwadar Deep Sea-port Project:

Increased trade to and from Balochistan and Iran.

Trade potential from Central Asian countries through Afghanistan.

Transit cargo (liquid and dry bulk)

Warehousing and assembly industries (EPZ)

Oil storage, refineries, petrochemical industries etc.

Handle the shipping traffic of the region.

Gwadar Master Plan envisages development of about 18,600 hectares of land for this project including the followings:

Port development in Phase 1 & 11 on 400 hectares.

An Export Processing Zone of 74 hectares located on land adjacent to the port in East Bay.

A Special Industrial Zone of about 4,000 hectares lying to the north of the town.

An oil refinery of 1,000 hectares located to the north east of the town, linked to the proposed oil terminal by an
underground pipeline across East Bay.

A residential area of 400 hectares stretching north of the existing town along West Bay.

To bring Gwadar close to the national mainstream, 700 Km long Makran Coastal Highway is in advanced stage of implementation. It will link Gwadar with Pasni, Ormara and Karachi. An other regional linkage is the Gwadar Ratto-Dero motorway linking it with Indus Highway through Turbat, Awaran and Khuzdar. A rail link is also planned to connect Gwadar to Quetta and Zahidan. Civil Aviation Authority also plans to upgrade the existing length of runway from 5,000 ft to 15,000 ft for operation of wide bodied jet air-crafts. The extension work will begin by end August, 2003 and the extension facilities will be available for use by end 2004.

Investment Opportunities

Some of the evident investment opportunities:-

Master Plan related infrastructure i.e. internal roads & services, water and power and communication services for the new
township and the Industrial Zone.

Private owned Ware Houses and Cold Storages.

Private cargo handling equipment and trucking yards.

Corporate Infrastructure i.e. offices for operating firms & agencies.

Development of Industrial Zone and Industries.

Development of Commercial/residential areas & buildings.

Labour related amenities for thousands of workers employed on developmental work of Great Gwadar.

Hotels & Motels.

Hospitals, Colleges & Schools.

Tourism related industry.

Marine related industry i.e. shipyards, dry dock and repair yards.

Marine Fuel bunkering for visiting ships to include large fuel storages and mobile barges etc.

Oil refinery and large oil storages.

Ferry services between Gwadar-Karachi/Oman/Bunder Abbas and UAE.

Industrial Export Processing Zone

Hinterland road; Gwadar – Rattodero Expressway (735 km) will pass through Turbat-Awaran-Khuzdar & Shahdad Kot.

Gwadar-Quetta (via Turbat-Panjgoor-Kharan-Nushki) requires to be widened and improved. This link road will reduce the
distance to Quetta from 1090 km to 795 km.

Railway; Gwadar – Panjgoor-Dalbadin (515 km).

Gwadar-Afghanistan via Quetta by National Highway- N-25.

Potential Projects at GWADAR Port

Gwadar being unexplored territory till to date as far as business is concerned; a lot of business activities are possible. There are numerous businesses that offer sizeable profits for the investors in Gwadar. Few are mentioned as under:

1
Fish Processing
13. Shrimp farming, Shrimp /Lobsters

2. Crabs processing
14. Training services in Fisheries and Aquaculture

3. Cold storages, Ice factories
15. Port Management projects.

4. Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plants for profitable purpose
16. Hotels Restaurants & Resorts

5. Business Development
17. Date Processing

6. Service Providers
18. Canned food, Gravel Crush plant

7. Oil Palm cultivation (Govt. of Balochistan can provide land on easy terms)
19. Water sports center and recreation facilities.

8. Marine & Automobile repair workshop
20. Cluster for Internet service providers

9. Renewable Energy; wing, solar- IPP
21. Warehouses

10. Clearing & Forwarding agency
22. Boat building & naval architecture institute

11. Hospitals & Clinics
23. Oil Storage tankers.

12. Re-rolling Mills
24. Ferry Service for Karachi* Ormara-Pasni- Gwadar and up to Oman and Dubai

prsn41ife

January 10th, 2006, 01:38 AM

Thats a representation of what the west bay might look like...
o, so just wondering, what city is that then, looks like resort town somewhere in south east asia.

anyway, great looking renderings.

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:39 AM

What most Americans know about Pakistan can probably be summed up in the following sentence: it’s really hot there in the summer -- which is why any in-depth information on the country and its current challenges is more than welcome. Pakistan qualifies as the most-ignored, most important nation in the world, particularly when it comes to the American strategy for the war on terror. An excellent summary of the Pakistani government’s strategic options appeared recently in the South Asia Tribune.

The piece, “A Bird’s Eye View of Pakistan’s Troubles, Strengthes,” lays out General Musharraf’s international options, which includes acceptance of an American program. Accepting the American program allows the U.S. control of the region’s major waterways (most particularly the Strait of Hormuz), access to Afghanistan, bases for a possible attack on Iran, and a way into the former Soviet republics of Central Asia. A strategic alliance with the U.S. would mean that Pakistan would be expected to contain China’s breakout into the Muslim world, by allow Beijing access to Pakistan’s major port facilities.

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:49 AM

Transit trade Gwadar port to generate over $50 b

Date: 3/31/2004
Detail: Islamabad—The Gwadar deep-sea port, to be completed by March 2005, will have the potential to generate over $ 50 billion in transit trade annually in future. Official sources said after becoming fully operational along with strong communication and transport links with Central Asian States, Iran, western provinces of China and commercial cities of the country, an estimated two-thirds population of Balochistan will become part of port-related activities. The mega project which includes construction of three berths in the first phase will generate job opportunities for thousands of people. Having the potential to handle ships over 50,000 tons weight, the port will have huge cargoes for transiting to the Gulf region through smaller ships. Reports emanating from the Gulf region suggest that authorities there are keenly interested in the project and for its early completion as their over-saturated warm water ports cannot absorb further pressures. The sources said situated on mouth of the Gulf, the warm water Gwadar port will wait for transit of huge discovered and undiscovered estimated 2500 billion barrels of oil in Central Asian Region to different destinations as the fuel-thirsty nations are looking towards this region to meet their future needs. The nearest port for such facilities is this under-construction port. This port will become a gate-way for the region. It also offers special opportunity for land-locked Afghanistan. The sources said foreign consultants have been engaged to overview the plan prepared by the Nespak for the port city. Modifications are expected in the original plan

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:53 AM

Gwadar: The engine of change in Balochistan

Special Report

Fahd Husain

GWADAR: The deep water port is ready and open for business. As it prepares to receive ships and cargo, it is already starting to have a major impact on the city and region even as some local people step up their efforts to air their grievances.

For hundreds of years, Gwadar has been a sleepy fishing village. Alexander the Great is said to have passed through here on his way back to Macedonia. Over the centuries, Gwadar saw many rulers come and go, and finally the ruler of Muscat annexed it in 1797. In 1958, Pakistan bought Gwadar from Muscat for Rs90 million and made it a part of the province of Balochistan. Gwadar is situated at the mouth of the strategic Straits of Hormuz and is 72 km west from the Iranian border. The town is flooded with Iranian goods, ranging from motorcycles to petrol to all types of food and clothing items - all at incredibly cheap prices. After all, they are smuggled. But smuggling will cease to be the mainstay of Gwadar's economy once the port becomes functional.

THE JOURNEY

A journey begins with a single step and our 700 km journey to Gwadar started at the outskirts of Karachi. A simple and freshly minted sign showed us the way.

The road to Gwadar is known as the Makran Coastal Highway and it is only four months old. For us, this road and route to Gwadar was uncharted territory. The map helped us get a basic idea about the famed town we were headed to, but the long trip ahead remained unknown. The Frontier Works Organisation, also known as FWO, built this impressive highway in four years. Before the highway opened for traffic, this region in the southern tip of Pakistan remained cut off from the rest of the country except through air. The land journey took many days. In this sense, the new Coastal Highway has penetrated undiscovered terrain. And the terrain is stunning. Vast flat lands flank the highway for miles and miles with not a soul - or a vehicle - in sight. The harshness of this terrain is matched by its desolation and rugged beauty. As we drove on, the flat lands gave way to rocky hills. At first sight, it appeared as if giant carvings had been made on the side of these hills-symmetrical and aesthetic designs etched on rock. But soon one realizes these are nature's work. No-one knows the origin of these designs. Was it water at some period in time that drew these carvings, or was it the effect of air and wind over thousands of years? Maybe, one day a geologist will find the answer. The road snaked up the mountain and as it turned a corner, we got our first glimpse of the Arabian sea. The water is clear and the waves gentle, as they brush the isolated shores. From this point onwards, the highway travels near the sea, at times skirting around the hills and then winding its way back near the coast. At a point, the hills merged into a desert, which rolled onto the beach. A few local people moved about and an occasional bus passed by. Other than that, there was silence.

A few miles ahead, the highway hit a T junction. This is where the official Makran Coastal Highway starts. A monument and a plaque denote the official opening of the highway. But it was only a few months after this opening that this highway suffered serious damage. The torrential rains and flooding, which wreaked havoc across the country, washed away some chunks of the highway. Some call it the work of nature, others blame faulty engineering. We hit the damaged portion an hour or so later. A bridge there is still standing, but a chunk of the road has been washed away. Trucks have made their own detour, grinding through the dusty path and clambering back on the metalled portion for their onward journey to Gwadar. Repair work is underway but I couldn't see any as I headed back to our bus. The heat was catching up.

As dusk approached we made a stopover for tea at a roadside café. The owner of this place is going to be a rich man one day. And if he has good aesthetic sense, he will retain the look of his stall. The thatched roof and the matted seating blended in perfectly with the natural surroundings, as in fact did the strong cup of tea. The stall is right beside the highway and the only one of its kind for miles and miles. It won't be surprising if a few months and years down the road, this stall can transform into a proper café, a perfect place for hungry and thirsty travelers. It was tempting to sit there longer and soak in the ambience, but daylight was fading and we still had some way to go. It had been a long day and it was unlikely that we would reach Gwadar before nightfall, which was our original plan. But the road was clear and the signs pointing to the right direction. There was of course, no street lighting...

THE PORT

The town of Gwadar is not impressive by any standards. The new port is a different story altogether. The Director General of the Gwadar Port Authority is an affable gentleman by the name of Abdul Razziq Durrani, and he offered to show us the brand new Gwadar port. Phase 1 of the port is ready. According to press reports, it was supposed to be inaugurated by the Chinese Prime Minister during his recent visit to Pakistan, but senior government officials say that was not the case. A top source told me in Islamabad that the official opening of the port is still a few months away. The port has been constructed at a cost of $248 million. China has paid $198 million while Pakistan has contributed $50 million. China also offered expertise in the form of technical staff. Plus they have given the bulk of the equipment. Their work done, most of the 450 Chinese personnel have left for home. Director-General Durrani told me that phase 2 of the port will be constructed adjacent to Phase 1. It will be bigger. But for now, some ships have already started berthing at this port. Pakistan Petroleum, which is exploring off shore gas, is using the port loading and off-loading equipment fairly regularly. Director General Durrani said the Gwadar port had the potential to be a major port for the region. Dredging is already underway to make it a truly deep water port. Durrani said a network of roads linking the port to Afghanistan and Central Asia was being constructed, although they were lagging somewhat. Durrani also spoke at length about how the port would generate employment for the town and the region as well as help transform the city into a vibrant metropolis. "Can you imagine a small town like Gwadar is already experiencing traffic jams," he said. Gwadar's port holds great promise. It can earn millions of dollars for the country every year and transform this sleepy village into a vibrant international harbor. This is the stuff dreams are made of. A stream of ships and tankers berthing here, unloading their bulk cargo through these giant cranes, from where they will be trucked to distant lands. Thousands of people disembarking from these ships and spending days and weeks in this town, spending money, shopping, hotelling and transforming this town into a truly international city.

THE CITY

An international city needs international infrastructure. Gwadar, as it is today, does not exactly fulfill these requirements. It is like any other small town in Pakistan. Narrow streets and alleys dotted with cramped shops, mud-walled houses and heaps of trash. Bare foot children play outside, unaware that their environment is about to change drastically. And the man who is planning and mapping the change is Ahmad Bukhsh Lehri, the Director-General of the Gwadar Development Authority. I met him in his office, which is usually crowded with people wanting to buy and sell land and develop properties and housing schemes. Nature has made Lehri's work easier. Gwadar has two coasts, the East Bay and West Bay. They form neat semi circles and are divided by a strip of land where the present town of Gwadar is located. East Bay is where the new port has been built. The area behind the bay will be used for all port-related activities and structures like warehouses and offices. West Bay is where all the development is in its very early stages. Today, the bay is just an isolated beach with a dilapidated road ringing part of it. But in a short period of time, this bay will be filled with hotels, restaurants, and other recreation facilities. The land behind this bay is being developed into posh housing schemes, commercial areas, broad highways and a web of flyovers. Director-General Lehri took us on a tour of the city, to show us the works already underway. The main artery, called Jinnah Avenue, is being leveled. Lehri said this avenue would be something like Islamabad's Blue Area or Karachi I.I Chindrigar Road. It will be lined with commercial plazas, office buildings and shopping centres. As a result of this rapid development, land prices in Gwadar have skyrocketed. A horde of developers and property agents have descended on the town, and a lot of manipulation and bungling has also been reported. Officials here admit that land scams are a big concern, and they are trying their best to improve their systems of checks and balances to protect the interests of the investors.

POLITICS

There are some other people here who feel their interests are not being looked after. I went to meet one such person. Ghafoor Hote is the District President of the Balochistan National Party, Mengal group. And he represents a body of opinion, which says the local people of Gwadar are being neglected as this massive development takes place in their hometown.

Hote says he and his party are not opposed to the port per se because they realise the benefits that will accrue to them. They just feel that the local people of Gwadar have been neglected and sidelined. Hote also fears the locals of Gwadar, and of Balochistan, will become a minority in their own province if people from all over the country are allowed to come here to work on the port and then given voting rights. He says this is how the demographics changed in Quetta when the Afghan refugees flooded in, got Pakistani ID cards, and now can vote and enjoy all the rights of the citizens.

I asked him what he proposed should be done, and he said people should come to work here but they should not get voting rights. He drew a parallel with Dubai where workers from outside cannot have all the rights that locals have howsoever long they stay here. But Hote then checked himself to say that Dubai was different in the sense that it was hosting workers from abroad. But his argument was that locals should be given preferential treatment, which at present they were not.

From his office I headed off to meet another nationalist who wields a lot of influence in the town. Mir Hussain Ashraf is the Provincial Vice President of Nawab Akbar Bugti's Jamhoori Watan Party and a former federal minister. He also has some reservations about what is happening in Gwadar.

"How can a young man from Gwadar compete with someone from Islamabad," he asks. The point being, he says, locals should not be expected to get jobs on sheer merit. They should instead be given preferential treatment for jobs at the port. Ashraf says they will continue to protest till they are given their due rights. Some protests turned ugly earlier this month. The Coast Guards raided a warehouse to confiscate what they said were smuggled goods. In reaction, local traders turned violent, burnt and ransacked a few shops belonging to non-locals and held a tense standoff with security agencies. Only deft handling by the local authorities defused the situation.

How genuine are these grievances of the nationalists? And how are they being addressed. To find out, I went to see the District Nazim of Gwadar Babu Gulab Baloch at his house overlooking the sea. The Nazim had been in a spot of trouble himself the day before. A group of men angry at some property dispute, had roughed up his staff and damaged his office premises. But the Nazim appeared unruffled when I met him. He said it was unreasonable for the nationalists to oppose the port, but admitted that some of their grievances were genuine. But in the same breath the Nazim said President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz were making sure that everything was worked out to the satisfaction of all. He said he had met with the parliamentary committee on Balochistan headed by Senator Mushahid Hussain, and the committee was also aware of the grievances.

Officials in Gwadar however, say the few law and order problems that have occurred in city do not have much to do with the opposition to the port. As such, they say, these problems are rooted in day-to-day issues and are tackled on the same basis. Brig Farooq Ahmad Mir is the Chief Security Officer and he oversees and coordinates all law enforcement agencies in the area. He was all praise for the people of Gwadar and Balochistan and said he and his staff were able to keep peace in the area with the cooperation of the local people.

As we wrapped up our exhaustive visit, some things had become clear to me. Gwadar and its people are going through a historic moment. If the plans materialise, this small town at the edge of Pakistan - a town which has not experienced even the basics of modernisation, could transform into a truly international and cosmopolitan city. This dramatic transformation will have far-reaching repercussions for the town, province and country as a whole. Gwadar could become the engine of change for Balochistan, and it could also prove that economic and social development can end up solving even the most hardened political problems. What can be more exciting than to see an underdeveloped, undereducated and backward tribal society standing on the edge of international success. This is the story of this sleepy fishing village called Gwadar.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/index.html

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:54 AM

Mekran Coastal Highway zigzags to future economic haven

By Zaman Khan

KARACHI: The Mekran Coastal Highway, which zigzags from Karachi up to Gwadar along the Arabian Sea and through the hinterland of southern Balochistan, has opened vast vistas of tourism, business and economy in the future economic haven of the country, tour operators said on Saturday.

After the completion of the Highway connecting the country’s densely populated industrial port city of Karachi with the fast developing picturesque Gwadar deep sea port, near the Gulf, the two way travelling of buses has soared three times to 2,400 daily from 800 daily in 2001, coach owners told The News.

The number of coaches plying on this route has also increased to 60 daily from 28 daily respectively after the construction of the two-way 533-kilometre coastal highway, bus owners said.

General Pervez Musharraf inaugurated the Makran Coastal Highway project in August 2001, consisting of Karachi-Gwadar, Pasni-Gwadar, and Ormara-Liari (Balochistan) Highways.

Karachi Gwadar track was first to be constructed while Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has completed the work over two phases (first and third) of the project in last year.

Director General of FWO Brigadier Anwar talking to the News said, "the Liari-Ormara Highway is about 248 kilometres and Pasni-Gwadar Highway is about 132.7 kilometres long costing Rs3.9 billion and Rs2.8 billion respectively. The total length of Makran Coastal Highway is 533 kilometres."

Regarding the surge in number of commuters on Karachi Gwadar route a coach owner Sanaullah Jan said that the unprecedented entrepreneuring opportunities in Gwadar has spurred tremendous economic activity not only on mega development but also on micro level.

A large number of persons carry daily use items from food beverages, to clothes and bed spreads to Gwadar and on the way back bag goods brought in from Iran, Sanaullah said.

There are 60 coaches plying on Karachi Gwadar route that also connects to other cities of Makran division. Thirty coaches on upstream and thirty on downstream highway, each carrying an average of 40 passengers that is around 2400 persons per day, he informed.

Before construction of Makran Coastal Highway there were 28 coaches plying on the route that was a miserable semi metalled road and at times only a mud track, Sanaullah said adding that daily payload of passengers never exceeded 900 in those days.

Evidently, the development in Gwadar and construction of Coastal Highway has pushed up the number of passengers by 166 per cent, he said making calculation vital to his trade.

The coaches used to reach Gwadar in 18 to 24 hours before the highway was constructed now it takes 14 to 16 hours " Mohammed Aslam, supervisor of Aslam Dandai Coach.

Muhammad Saleem 60, a passenger said "Karachi to Gwadar takes less time now while to reach Turbat which is nearer to Karachi than Gwadar requires 10 to 12 hour of stomach boggling travelling because of shabby roads."

Mohammed Aslam a regular commuter whose family lives in Balochistan said that before the construction of Makran Coastal Highway there were 6 to 9 stop between Karachi to Gwadar but now there are just two at Ormara and Pasni respectively.

He further said that the bus takes two hours from Chakiwara stop in Karachi to Liari the first stop 100 kilometres north of Karachi in Balochistan on the existing N-25 RCD Highway.

Talking about the difficulties faced during the travelling 32 year old Attaullah Dashty, a coach owner, told, "There are no proper arrangements to facilitate the coaches and their passengers by the government." During the survey ‘The News’ found that before the construction of Makran Coastal Highway Rs600 were charged per passenger that has dropped to Rs500 including 20 Kg free baggage. Excess baggage is charged at Rs30 per 10 Kg while cargo invites freight of Rs120 per 40 Kg.

Coaches are carrying 2200 to 2400 maund cargo in a day, one maund is equal to 40 Kg.

"Every coach from Karachi to Gwadar and Gwadar to Karachi carries 40 to 42 maund cargo," Haji Abdul Hameed Dashti a coach owner said adding that "Rs.120 are charged on one maund cargo. So, an owner of a coach earns Rs10000 on cargo from every trip besides passenger fare."

Transport operators said that although Makran Highway has reduced the distance by 60 per cent yet the cut is not visible in the fare due to steep rise in price of diesel.

Mohammed Aslam a driver blamed the law enforcement agencies for harassing passengers, drivers and helpers all the way from Gwadar to Karachi.

Fishermen living along the Makran coast are also reaping the benefits of the coastal highway.

"Before the road, we travelled on muddy and sandy track along the coast way," he said. "Now we can go easily to nearest city to sell our catch," Abdullah Ali a fisherman said.

Mohammed Mushtaq leader of Bus owners Association informed that each month two to three buses are added to Karachi Gwadar route as leasing companies are facilitating bus purchase.

There are around 60 coaches moving up and down between Karachi and Makran division and among these 28 are for Gwadar city due to heavy passenger load of the rapidly developing Gwadar Port.

Mushtaq said that there are 11 coach services plying on Karachi-Makran routes, including Aslam Dandai Coach, New Aslam Coach, Mula Jan Coach, Al-Kareem Coach, Jawed Serhadi Coach, Imami Coach, Imam Jan Coach, New Imam Jan Coach, Al-Mushtaq Coach, Al-Masood Coach and Al-Mumtaz Coach.

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:55 AM

US interested in Gwadar Port’s development

ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C Crocker said on Wednesday that his country was interested in Gwadar port’s development, as it would increase economic activity in the entire region.

Speaking to businessmen at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Crocker said the US wanted to facilitate the Pakistani businessmen in the USA. He assured the businessmen that access to commercial counselor section and visa and security related issues would be discussed to ease business travel to the USA. About the Pak-US Investment Treaty, Crocker said the third round of the treaty would be held in Washington in September. He said the US wanted active and productive economic ties with Pakistan as major US retailers were keen to invest here. He said exports of Pakistani goods to the USA had recorded a seven percent increase during 2004-05, showing that the economy was moving in the right direction.

Crocker said it was good to see that the Pakistani government was encouraging foreign investment, adding that progress on intellectual property rights and Anti Money Laundering Law, which were processed in parliament, would help resolve the concerns by US companies. He said the US would provide $ 300 million assistance to Pakistan during the current fiscal year for poverty reduction, and health, education and social sectors.

Crocker said the US government was aware of the necessity to engage itself with the private sector. He added that with the help of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the USA was providing funds to the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce to help resolve the child labour issue in the city. Crocker said the consortium of 50 US companies which was working to invest $1 trillion in the world had also shown interest in investing in various sectors of Pakistan. Praising the Pakistan’s role as a frontline state in the war on terrorism, Crocker said the United States wanted to build long term multi-faceted relationship with Pakistan. He added that the USA would provide an advanced version of F-16 aircraft to help Pakistan meet the defence requirements.

Earlier, Tariq Saddiq, president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, informed the US envoy about the problems being faced by Pakistani businessmen with the implementation of the World Trade Organisation. app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/defaul...9-5-2005_pg7_30

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:55 AM

Oil refineries at Gawadar vital for Pakistan: President

KARACHI: President General Pervez Musharraf said on Friday that Pakistan must establish oil refineries at Gawadar to refine oil of Gulf countries for the international market.

"If we can develop a large oil terminal and set up oil refineries at newly coming up Gawadar Port, located at the mouth of the Gulf, we can refine crude coming from the Gulf and going out to the world market," President Musharraf noted while speaking at the inauguration of $480 million, 817 kilometres white oil pipeline from Port Qasim to Mahmood Kot, built by Pak-Arab Pipeline Company (PAPCO).

Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Amanullah Khan Jadoon, State Minister for Petroleum, SBP Governor Dr Ishrat Husain, Sindh Chief Secretary, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Chunxiang and other high officials were also present on the occasion.

The President said the world oil prices were rising due to lack of refining capacity and not because of production shortage.

"There is a big and increasing gap between demand and supply of refined oil. Therefore, I think, Pakistan must go very strongly towards establishing oil refineries (to capitalise this opportunity)," he noted.

It will also serve the strategic defence interest of the country, he observed. He said Gawadar Port has been completed and it will be commissioned in June 2006. The port is ready but we are dredging it to 15 metres depth for accommodating larger vessels.

President Musharraf said it was an ideal situation for Pakistan. "A similar pipeline can be laid from Gawadar to upcountry to transport oil products as a feasible proposition," he observed. He said the government would complete all the initiated projects. Referring to PAPCO, he said that he was associated with this project since its inception when Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with former Chinese premier Zhu Rongi (in 2002) for this pipeline project.

"I, personally, do not believe in initiating projects which do not see the light of the day. We are initiating the projects and completing the projects," Musharraf added.

He said dozens of mega projects were on track. Some of them have been completed and others will be completed within the coming year. "I assure the nation that whatever mega developmental projects that we launch and are being launched will be completed," he said. The President commended the efforts of PARCO, Shell Pakistan, PSO and Caltex for this joint venture of great importance and strategic significance to Pakistan, saying it will give great boost to the economy of the country. It is the most secure means of transporting oil products to up country, which consumes 60 percent of the petroleum products, he said.

He said this pipeline would go a long way in catering to the needs of Afghanistan and Central Asian republics in an environment- friendly manner. President Pervez Musharraf said foreign direct investment (FDI), which was hovering around $300 to 400 million per annum in 1999 have increased to $1.4 billion in 2004. It will keep rising in the coming years, he added amid applause.

He also complimented China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation and Techno Engineering Pakistan for early completion of the project.

The President said it would replace the transportation of oil products by tankers, which have been crowding the area in Keamari creating nuisance for the locals and causing pollution in the area.

He however noted that due to boost in economic activities, these oil tankers have been converted to transport water and other non-oil products.

He noted that with the commissioning of pipeline, people of Keamari would take a sigh of relief, environment would improve and road maintenance cost in Sindh and Karachi would be reduced.

He was hopeful the foreign investment especially in oil and gas sector would keep coming to Pakistan. Energy is one of the most important areas that the government was concentrating on, he opined.

Musharraf said the government wanted to accelerate the process of exploration in offshore and on-shore areas. "We also wanted to accelerate the process of distribution of gas and oil to all areas of Pakistan, specially gas".

"We will take gas to all parts of Pakistan," the President said with commitment. He said the government was (currently) evaluating the proposal to install CNG or LNG gas tanks outside those towns which are located in far flung areas of the country and lay a distribution system within these towns to provide gas to the locals through pipelines at half the price of cylinder.

President Musharraf said he has given the deadline of January 1, 2006 for this project to the concerned authorities and hoped that they will not violate the time frame. He said the government would ensure that every nook and corner of Pakistan especially in mountains and inaccessible area where deforestation was rampant due to tree cutting would get gas.

He was of the view that people have no energy source in mountains and therefore they cut trees. "If we can take cheap gas to Chitral and Gilgit, we will improve the environment in the country, besides providing them cheap energy", he observed.

This is the future of oil, gas and coal, water alternate source of energy for Pakistan. He said the government, in its efforts to reduce higher dependence on oil for energy production, has slashed the ratio from current 70 percent to 59 percent and wanted to further decrease. "We want to further decrease this ratio by using gas, coal and alternate resources for energy production," he said.

Earlier, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Khan Jadoon in his address said the pipeline would be sufficient to meet the oil product demand for the next 35 to 40 years. Deputy MD PAPCO Mohammad Bashir Jang in his welcome address said that PARCO has 51 percent share in the pipeline while Shell Pak have 26 percent equity, PSO 12 percent and Caltex Pakistan 11 percent.

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2005-...business/b1.htm

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:56 AM

Argentina to invest in Gwadar port

ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: Pakistan and Argentina on Wednesday identified areas for collaboration, which include gas pipeline, petroleum explorations and investment in the Gwadar Port development.

This was one of the outcomes in the first meeting of the Joint Committee of Pakistan-Argentina. Pakistan commerce secretary and Argentina secretary of trade and economic affairs led their respective side.

It was also agreed that the cooperation would be extended to other areas like agriculture, pharmaceutical products, etc.

Meanwhile, an agreement was also signed between Karachi Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Argentine Chambers of Commerce for increasing bilateral trade and flow of information between the private sectors of the two countries.

In order to further promote the flow of information between the two countries, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed between Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and its counterpart organization in Argentine.

To implement the spirit of cooperation, it was agreed in the meeting that Argentina would send a trade delegation to Pakistan in the first quarter of 2006, and EPB would hold a single country exhibition in Argentina to fully tap the market.

UnitedPakistan

January 10th, 2006, 01:59 AM

HIGHWAY TO LINK PAKISTAN CITIES TO CENTRAL ASIA AND TURKEY.

QUETTA, Aug 21, Asia Pulse - Work has started for building an alternate highway, linking Gwadar with Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asian Republics, said an official spokesman said here on Tuesday.
He said that 525-kilometre Gwadar-Turbat-Buleda-Garvak-Ladghast-Naukundi road was expected to be completed by next June at an estimated cost of more than Rs 180 million (US$3 million).
The road would pass through southern, central and northern parts of Balochistan, rich in fisheries and mineral resources, he said.
The spokesman said the road was also expected to touch Saindak and Reko Dak, where Chinese and Australian metallurgical firms were actively engaged in economic exploitation and correct utilisation of gold, copper and associated minerals.
Saindak and Reko Dak would also have export processing zones for marketing of mineral and mineral-based products to the foreign countries through Naukundi, already connected with the member countries of Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) railroad network, he said.
Replying to a question, the spokesman said the 653-kilometre-long coastal highway, linking Karachi with Gwadar was already under rapid construction at a cost of over Rs 11 billion.
On completion of this highway, Karachi would be linked with Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and the Central Asian Republics through Naukundi, he said.
Responding to another question, the spokesman said plans were also under way for the construction of an expressway between Gwadar and Rato Dero (Sindh) via Khuzdar, central Balochistan.
Khuzdar was already linked with Chaman via Quetta for access to Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics via Kandahar, he said, and hoped that by the time Gwadar deep-sea port's first phase was completed, Gwadar would have dependable road connections with the interior of Balochistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Central Asian Republics for international import-export trade between the Central Asian Republics and Far Eastern countries via the Balochistan coastal belt.
(PPI).
(c) 2002 Asia Pulse Pte Limited

pakboy

January 10th, 2006, 02:22 AM

JINNAH AVENUE, RENDERS
- Gwadars business district

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2971/ja3wi.jpg

pakboy

January 10th, 2006, 02:23 AM

Gwadar: A Sanguine Vision

The Future Gwadar will look something like this. InshAllah. Nature has put its fascinating illusion in Gwadar, so as Government of Pakistan is taking its keen interest to develop Gawadar on the International Principles to focus the eyes of Tourists. Mainly Gwadar is being settled as a tourist resort as well as free port.

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/gwadarfuture1.jpg

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/f1.jpg

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/f3.jpg

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/f2.jpg

FINANCE TRADE & BUSINESS AVENUE (FTBA)

The site selected for FTBA is at fine location and will be the center of the city in future. It is near Door Ghetti, a project of Mr. Hussain Ashraf, native of Gwadar. He has his own identity with good reputation. I think it is sufficient for investor’s information. This project will be the main focus of business in near future.

RE-LOCATION OF OLD GWADAR TOWN

According to Gwadar Master plan, present Gwadar old town is required to be re-located. But its re-location need heavy expenditure, according to recent news when it was calculated how much money is needed for its re- location; the figure was about 22 billion. If Govt motivate the people and arrange the funds then two sites have been marked for that purpose. One is Surbander and the other is Peshkan, Govt has acquired 1000-acre land at Peshkan for that purpose. Govt. is also carrying out feasibility report of Fish Harbor at Surbander and at Peshkan. The Fish harbor at Surbander is confirmed but at Peshkan feasibility is under process, hopefully it will also be done. The native of Gwadar will be compensated as per their desire at the time of re- location of old town Gwadar.

PC HOTEL

Ground plus three storeys PC Hotel is under construction, Almost its work is completed and hopefully it will start function in December this year. It is located at Sangar Phase –1 exact at R-S Street (hill) north edge. . After operation of this Hotel the plot at Sangar will gain weight especially in Phase-1.

DEEP-SEA PORT

1st Phase of Deep sea r port (having three berths) is completed, according to recent news it will be in operation by 31 December 2005.

MISCELLANEOUS
Govt. is doing lot of development in Gwadar. Beharia University is already announced and hopefully its work will start soon. Fruitful arrangement is being made to get the electricity and gas from Iran, already providing supply of electricity. Main Jinnah Avenue Road works is in progress (63 meter width and 16 Kilometer length), This road start from Newtown Phase-1 and meet Main coastal highway near Zero point. I think till population rate will improve at gwadar enough arrangement for storage of water will be in hand in the shape of Akra Dam, Shadi kor and Mirani Dam. So there is nothing to worry about basic needs at there.

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1128270350.gif

hassandada

January 10th, 2006, 04:00 AM

wow inshallah gwader and karachi are going to be our economical hubs :cheers:

abdulqadirplus

January 11th, 2006, 04:42 PM

GDA Bolan Complex Gwadar
is posted in Landscapes and Cityscapes
please check it

abdulqadirplus

January 11th, 2006, 04:54 PM

Gwadar 3rd Deepest Sea Port of the world.The Government of Pakistan has avowed Gwadar a free deep sea port. Not all free ports are deep see ports. Divine has gifted Gwadar a very deep shoreline. It is worth mentioning that Gwadar is enjoying a twofold eminence here concomitantly i.e.; free port and deep-sea port. At this juncture, we can perceive even bigger ships sailing around that other ports cannot afford to. This inimitable aspect pertaining to big ships facilitate Gwadar emerging as an international port. Construction of the first phase of the port has been accomplished in alliance with China with a cost of 298 million dollars. A free port city attracts national and international investments in tandem. This foreign investment crafts business opportunities and causes invigorating economic developments. Therefore, Gwadar is a future international trade city.

Gwadar-Where Sand is Turning to Gold
Gwadar- A substitute to Dubai Gulf is closed at the end and ships do suffer long lines and rush hours on the ports in there. Additionall, UAE is not a deep-sea port, which is the busiest port at the moment. Here, UAE used to be the favorite business zone of the region. Since the middle east is facing a political crises for some years due to Iraq and Afghanistan turmoils, businessmen need a replacement. Though, Gwadar proves to be the nearest as well as outside of gulf, substitute of Dubai. International trade and investment shall grow here rapidly. Gwadar- A Hub Of International Cargo Lines Today, USA, Japan, Chian, European union are the major competitors of the world supply chain. A successful producer shall reach the markets ahead of others with cheap but quality goods. Through Gwadar, China can reach the markets of central Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe in much lesser time than today. Additionally, china would manage to reduce its costs of business extra ordinarily. Thus, Gwadar will be affecting the economies of more than 30 countries and lives of more than 2 billion people shall be benefited from it directly or indirectly. Gwdar shall emerge as the transit trade port and international trade markets as well for all these countries. Gwadar-The Developments Plans The Govt of Pakistan is undertaking serious parameters to complete the projects linked with the port and to develop it as an international transit-trade center. Gwadar-Ensuring the Quality The Govt.of Pakistan has formed an organization to monitor the planning, development and construction of the project overall.i.e; GDA (Gwadar Development Authority). Anybody can start with a residential or commercial projects if he/she fulfills the requirements of GDA and obtain NOC (no objection certificate). GDA keeps a check on every single stage of the project approved to its completion just to assure quality standards in future. Gwadar- The Planning Gwadar is being developed according to the international standards so that it could meet with the requirements of an international trade city. The Govt. of Pakistan is making sure of the provision of basic facilities necessary for the residential and commercial purposes. According to the master plan, 46000 acres of land are planned to develop. Out of the whole, 1000 acre is for port, 18000 acre for residential, 2500 acre for oil refinery and 10000 acre for tax-free industrial zone. The whole eastern side is declared to be industrial and commercial. Whereas the western part is supposed to be a hub of residential, recreational and commercial activities simultaneously. The Govt.Plans to develop tourist resorts and high rise commercial area on the west bay side. Also plan to construct roads of 165ft and 200ft width on the beach side of west bay. We can well imagine the glittering future of Gwadar looking at the planning and priorities of the Govt.of Pakistan. The Govt.of Pakistan, keeping in view its utmost significance in the area, has declared Gwdar as a Duty free port and free economic Zone. This has not only enhanced its commercial worth manifold, but has also accelerated the pace of development to an incredible extent. In fact, Gwdar enjoys the status of the third deepest sea Port in the world which has a special significance with reference to trade links with central Asian countries, Persian Gulf, East Africa, United Arab Emirates and China.Gwadar, by virtue of its fine location, with its development projects and recreation programmes, will soon turn into a city which will far surpass cities like Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.
http://www.gowealthy.com/realestate/listing/view_image.asp?image=listing_1260_1_79.jpg
http://www.gowealthy.com/realestate/listing/view_image.asp?image=listing_1260_2_59.jpg

abdulqadirplus

January 11th, 2006, 04:55 PM

Gumnaam

January 11th, 2006, 05:38 PM

^^ Checked it. :) Nice work!

That thread will be here shortly.

Techno-Architect

January 11th, 2006, 09:29 PM

posted twice!!
DELETE THIS POST PLZ!!!

UnitedPakistan

January 12th, 2006, 12:17 AM

A thread already exists in the projects section for this project.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=252568&highlight=Bolan

UnitedPakistan

January 12th, 2006, 02:43 AM

Excellent Article!

Can we have a source though? And can you fix the images?

UnitedPakistan

January 12th, 2006, 02:52 AM

Why Gwadar

4 Gawadar bright future vision
4 First free port of Pakistan
4 Deep sea port of the region
4 Tax free E.P.Z.
4 An oil rich area
4 Alternate to Middle East economic activities in any crisis.
4 Chinese Cargo Line
4 C.A.R. Cargo Line
4 Countable Geographical situation of Gawadar
4 Price hikes in Gawadar
4 Development as per International standards.
4 All modern communication facilities.
4 Government's Interest

UnitedPakistan

January 12th, 2006, 02:52 AM

Welcome to Gawadar

A district of Balochistan, situated at a distance of 750 Km from Karachi – the Future Coast of Pakistan.

Geographically, Gawadar enjoys a significant position with the Gulf next to it. Although, Gawadar has been neglected in the past but its 600 Km long coast line has put its importance right at the top and people with futuristic approach see it developing into one of the most modern and beautiful coast of the world. The development process in Gawadar has already been started and the government approach in this endeavor is highly commendable. The rise of property in Gawadar during the past three years speaks for its immense potential. According to official figures, the property prices have risen 50 times (5000%) of the actual price.

In the next few pages we will discuss in detail the rate of growth in property at Gawadar and the scope of new horizons, which lay ahead.

A Stitch in Time

Gawadar is ideally suited for residential and investment purposes. Buying property in the local locality is a fair wish but it is wiser to buy property with higher profits, irrespective of the location. Gawadar is being developed to replace trade cities like Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong. Therefore, it should not be compared with other cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. This fact could well be understood by the following features which Gawadar posses.

1. Gawadar – A Free Port:
The government of Pakistan has declared Gawadar a free port. Therefore, Gawadar is developing to be a free port city, which in turns speaks of its international importance and the number of projects to be carried out here. This international investment like elsewhere, would act as a catalyst in the growth and economic development.

2. Gawadar – A Free Deep Sea Port:
One of the very important factors about Gawadar is that it is a deep seaport. It is worth mentioning here that not all of the seaports are the deep seaports. This characteristic of Gawadar differentiates it with the other free seaports around. Construction of the first phase of this deep seaport has been completed in collaboration with China with a cost of $298 million.

3. Gawadar – A Substitute to Dubai:
Although, the Gulf was to be considered on of the best zones for trade and business till now, but the rapidly changing political conditions in Afghanistan, Iraq and specially Middle East has created an air of uncertainty, of its future, in the minds of business community. The business community in the Gulf has already started exploring new horizons for future trade and what best could they get than Gawadar – The very next deep seaport to the Gulf.

4. Gawadar – A Hub of International Cargo Lines:
Today, almost every multinational company puts maximum stress over delivery. The sooner the better. Companies who could reach a destination ahead of the others are the market leader. Technically, Gawadar will affect the economy of more than 30 countries because the imports and export of China, Middle East, Central Asian States, Europe and Africa could be transported in days rather than months and would be very economical.

5. Gawadar – The Development Plans:
Gawadar in real sense is a major trade link to the world and the government of Pakistan is endeavoring its best to utilize this zone to its capacity. In a quest to make Gawadar a gold mine, the Government of Pakistan is ensuring the development of Mega projects like Makran Coastal highway, Gawadar Ratto-dero motorway, Gawadar Quetta highway, Gawadar Quetta Zahidan railway track, 132 KV electricity line, an international airport, Ankaaara and Meerani dams

6. Gawadar – Ensuring the Quality:
In order to ensure the quality of development of the city, a competent authority, GDA (Gawadar Development Authority) has been formed. No development project can be carried out without obtaining NOC from GDA. The GDA makes sure that the quality is implemented throughout the construction and development of the project.

7. Gawadar – The Paining:
Gawadar is being developed over a scale where it could match the international standards. Every possible measure is being implemented to make sure that the commercial and residential facilities are matchless and the residents could live a tensionless life. According to the master plan, over the east bay, an area of 1000 acres has been allotted for deep seaport, 1000 acres for tax-free industrial zone and 2500 acres for oil refineries. Furthermore, over the west bay an area of 18000 acres has been reserved for residential purpose. On the beach 164 and 200 ft wide roads have also been planned.

UnitedPakistan

January 12th, 2006, 02:55 AM

Historical Perspective

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.

Benefits

Besides the Geostrategic importance mentioned earlier, some of the evident economic benefits of the development of Gwadar Port are:

Capitalize on opportunities for trade with landlocked Central Asian States and Afghanistan.
Promote trade and transport with Gulf States.
Trans-shipment essentially of containerized cargo.
Unlock the development potential of hinterland.
Diversion of influx of human resources from up country to Gwadar instead of Karachi.
Socio economic uplift of the province of Balochistan.
Establishment of shipping related industries.
Oil storage, refinery and petrochemicals
Export Processing and Industrial Zones
Reduce congestion & dependency on existing Ports Complex at Karachi/PQA.
Serve as an alternate port to handle Pakistani trade in case of blockade of existing ports.
Will become a Regional Hub for major trade and commercial activities.
Scope of Work

The development of Gwadar Deep Sea Port as per approved PC-I and Master Plan is to be undertaken in two phases. Phase-I will comprise of:-

3 Multipurpose Berths
Length of Berths 602m
4.5 Km long Approach Channel Dredged to 11.5m-12.5m.
Turning Basin 450m dia.
One 100m Service Berth.
Related port infrastructure and port handling equipment & Pilot Boat, Tugs, Survey Vessel etc.
The port will be equipped with the essential port handling equipment and other infrastructure required for smooth operations of a modern port. On completion of Phase-I, the Port will handle Bulk Carriers of upto 30,000 DWT and Container Vessels of 25,000 DWT. Phase-I will be completed at a cost of Rs.14.9 Billion (US$. 248/- Million) and will complete in 36 months i.e. March 3005.

Phase – II

This Phase of the Project is planned to be built on BOO/BOT basis at an estimated cost US$. 600 Million. It will comprise of 9 additional berths as per following details:-

4 Container Berths.
1 Bulk Cargo Terminal (to handle 100,000 DWT ships).
1 Grain Terminal.
1 Ro-Ro Terminal.
2 Oil Terminals to handle 200,000 DWT ships.

Phase II of the project involves construction of more berths on BOT basis including two container berths, one bulk cargo terminal, one grain terminal with capacity handling vessels up to 100,000 DWT, one roll on/ roll off terminal, two oil piers for vessels up to 200,000 DWT and future expansion of two container berths. On completion of the project, Gwadar Deep-sea port would be on of the world's most strategically located port in this part of the world.

On successful completion of Phase-I, it is anticipated that the private sector would come forward to invest in the second phase of the Project. It is envisaged that the complete development of such a Mega project will take 8-10 years depending on the active participation of the private sector.

Cost of The Project

Total amount equivalent to Rs 14.9 Billion (248 million US dollars) were approved by ECNEC for Phase-I of the project. The financial agreement for development of Phase-I was signed with the Govt. of China on 10 August 2001 under which the Chinese will provide US$. 198 Million and the Govt. of Pakistan will provide US$. 50 Million.

Chinese:

Grant US$ 18 Million.
New Grant Assistance US$ 31 Million.
New Interest Free Loan US$ 31 Million
Govt. Concessional Loan US$ 58 Million
Buyer’s Credit US$ 60 Million
Total US $ 198.00 Million

Pakistani:

Rs. 3000 Million (US 50.00 Million) in Local Currency.

Additional Development Cost:

Additional development costs were also envisaged for Electrical Supply 132 KV Transmission Line from Turbat to Gwadar at an approx cost Rs.360.00 million and a Railway line from Gwadar-Panjgoor-Dalbandin (515 Km) at approx cost of Rs.8, 500 million. This is however not a part of the sanction to the Gwadar Port Development Authority.

Human Resource

The Chinese have mobilized 450 personal from China and hired 512 local workmen as per following detail:-
Chinese: 450
Pakistani: 512

Civil Works and Infrastructure Development:

The design and construction of residential buildings and civil works of various port operation buildings and related infrastructure development is to be undertaken by Pakistani contractors and firms out of the US dollars 50 Million allocated for the Project. In this regard consultants have been hired and process for pre-qualification of contractors has commenced. Similarly, award of contract for the construction of residential area was approved by the MOC in June 2003 and the Contractor has already fully mobilized and a construction activity has started.

Master Plan of GWADAR:

Concurrent with the Port development a Master Plan of Gwadar has been approved by Balochistan Government through NESPAK and which has been a hot topic of discussions at various forums. Implementation of the Master Plan is the responsibility of Govt. of Balochistan. Physically no headway has been made so far which is a matter of concern.

The following potentials have been identified in the Master Plan of Gwadar Deep Sea-port Project:

Increased trade to and from Balochistan and Iran.
Trade potential from Central Asian countries through Afghanistan.
Transit cargo (liquid and dry bulk)
Warehousing and assembly industries (EPZ)
Oil storage, refineries, petrochemical industries etc.
Handle the shipping traffic of the region.

Gwadar Master Plan envisages development of about 18,600 hectares of land for this project including the followings:

Port development in Phase 1 & 11 on 400 hectares.
An Export Processing Zone of 74 hectares located on land adjacent to the port in East Bay.
A Special Industrial Zone of about 4,000 hectares lying to the north of the town.
An oil refinery of 1,000 hectares located to the north east of the town, linked to the proposed oil terminal by an
underground pipeline across East Bay.
A residential area of 400 hectares stretching north of the existing town along West Bay.

To bring Gwadar close to the national mainstream, 700 Km long Makran Coastal Highway is in advanced stage of implementation. It will link Gwadar with Pasni, Ormara and Karachi. An other regional linkage is the Gwadar Ratto-Dero motorway linking it with Indus Highway through Turbat, Awaran and Khuzdar. A rail link is also planned to connect Gwadar to Quetta and Zahidan. Civil Aviation Authority also plans to upgrade the existing length of runway from 5,000 ft to 15,000 ft for operation of wide bodied jet air-crafts. The extension work will begin by end August, 2003 and the extension facilities will be available for use by end 2004.

Investment Opportunities

Some of the evident investment opportunities:-

Master Plan related infrastructure i.e. internal roads & services, water and power and communication services for the new
township and the Industrial Zone.
Private owned Ware Houses and Cold Storages.
Private cargo handling equipment and trucking yards.
Corporate Infrastructure i.e. offices for operating firms & agencies.
Development of Industrial Zone and Industries.
Development of Commercial/residential areas & buildings.
Labour related amenities for thousands of workers employed on developmental work of Great Gwadar.
Hotels & Motels.
Hospitals, Colleges & Schools.
Tourism related industry.
Marine related industry i.e. shipyards, dry dock and repair yards.
Marine Fuel bunkering for visiting ships to include large fuel storages and mobile barges etc.
Oil refinery and large oil storages.
Ferry services between Gwadar-Karachi/Oman/Bunder Abbas and UAE.
Industrial Export Processing Zone
Hinterland road; Gwadar – Rattodero Expressway (735 km) will pass through Turbat-Awaran-Khuzdar & Shahdad Kot.
Gwadar-Quetta (via Turbat-Panjgoor-Kharan-Nushki) requires to be widened and improved. This link road will reduce the
distance to Quetta from 1090 km to 795 km.
Railway; Gwadar – Panjgoor-Dalbadin (515 km).
Gwadar-Afghanistan via Quetta by National Highway- N-25.
Potential Projects at GWADAR Port

Gwadar being unexplored territory till to date as far as business is concerned; a lot of business activities are possible. There are numerous businesses that offer sizeable profits for the investors in Gwadar. Few are mentioned as under:

Fish Processing
Crabs processing
Cold storages, Ice factories
Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plants for profitable purpose
Business Development
Service Providers
Oil Palm cultivation (Govt. of Balochistan can provide land on easy terms)
Marine & Automobile repair workshop
Renewable Energy; wing, solar- IPP
Clearing & Forwarding agency
Hospitals & Clinics
Re-rolling Mills
Shrimp farming, Shrimp /Lobsters
Training services in Fisheries and Aquaculture
Port Management projects.
Hotels Restaurants & Resorts
Date Processing
Canned food, Gravel Crush plant
Water sports center and recreation facilities.
Cluster for Internet service providers
Warehouses
Boat building & naval architecture institute
Oil Storage tankers.
Ferry Service for Karachi* Ormara-Pasni- Gwadar and up to Oman and Dubai

For more information of Gwadar Project Please contact the following Focal Person:

Gawadar Port

Chairman
Gawadar Port Authority
2nd Floor, M.T. Khan Road, ENSC Building Karachi
Tel: 021-9202369 Res: 021-5878632 Fax: 021-9204050

sher-e-lahore

January 12th, 2006, 03:57 PM

Platinum Seaview

Waking up as soon as the sunrises bringing life with birds singing and flying in fresh breeze, tender enough to penetrate the freshness in your soul.

It would be more of a dream come true... In a healthy environment, with all the natural resource in a project launched and handled by the professionals, for a better future and a pollution free environment near to sea clear and safe to all. It's a dream coming true and the ultimate reality is named "Platinum Seaview”.

http://www.visiongwadar.com/seaview/prolay.jpg

Location
http://www.visiongwadar.com/seaview/locationmap.jpg

sher-e-lahore

January 12th, 2006, 04:01 PM

New world-class airport announced: Shaukat visits Gwadar

The government has decided to construct a new international airport at Gwadar with state-of-the-art facility having world-class standard. This was announced by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz who was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Gwadar Industrial Estate on Saturday.

He said that till the completion of the new international airport the existing airport is being upgraded, and necessary facilities were being provided so that there could be frequent communication between Karachi and Gwadar.

Shaukat Aziz said that the Gwadar will not only be an industrial hub, but also attract tourist since it has got great potential for tourism.

He said that this is a historic day and pointed out that six years ago when President General Pervez Musharraf took over power he saw a dream of making a world class port in Gwadar and added that today we are seeing this dream becoming a reality.

He said that the President took up the matter of building of Gwadar port with Prime Minister of China who readily agreed to the proposal, so this port is a gift of China. The Prime Minister said that the seaports change the destiny of regions and countries.

He pointed out that six years ago, the President promised roads for Gwadar and that promise has been fulfilled with the construction of Coastal Highway which goes up to north and shall be a crucial link for Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Shaukat Aziz said, "We have to open our minds and allow foreign investors to come up with their investment which will usher in an era of prosperity and help create employment opportunities."

The Prime Minister said that in case the local skilled labour was not available we should welcome with open heart skilled people from other regions for development, progress and prosperity of Gwadar, which is not only in the interest of the-people of Gwadar and Balochistan, but also in the interest of Pakistan.

Shaukat Aziz announced that the federal government will establish Export Processing Zone in Gwadar on fast-track basis and will extend Coastal Highway up to Iran to promote trade and commerce with it.

In this connection, the Prime Minister said that import of gas from Iran will transform Balochistan and a decision on gas pipeline project with Iran after consideration of all aspects will be made in the national interest.

He said that local bodies' elections have demonstrated that people have rejected anti-development and negative forces.

Shaukat Aziz announced Rs 10 million for water supply to Gwadar and in response to demand of Balochistan chief minister Jam Mohammed Yousuf for desalination plant, he said that the government will bear half of the cost of desalination plant which will be grant of federal government.

Earlier, in his welcome address Jam Mohammed Yousuf said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's contribution towards development of Gwadar and construction of port here are laudable and commendable.

He said that it seemed like a dream but Shaukat Aziz has made it a reality.

On the occasion, Balochistan governor Owais Ghani, federal ministers Zobaida Jalal and Naseer Mengal were also present.

Meanwhile, groundbreaking ceremony of Gwadar Port Civic Centre was also held on Saturday.

In his speech at the ceremony the Prime Minister said that the federal government was spending a record Rs 134 billion on mega projects for development in Balochistan.

"This has never happened in the history of Balochistan that such mega projects were ever carried out at one time," Shaukat Aziz noted, amid applause.

Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf, Minister for Port and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri, Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zobaida Jalal and Minister for Petroleum Naseer Mengal were also present on the occasion.

He said that this year Rs 21 billion had been allocated under annual development programme for Balochistan, which was about 10.5 percent of total outlay. "This is more than the share of Balochistan, in terms of population ratio to other provinces," he added.

Shaukat Aziz directed the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) to complete construction of Civic Centre within 18 months and undertake construction work on its own and not on built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

He said that minister of ports and shipping Babar Khan Ghauri was a man of action and he would ensure that work is completed in the stipulated time.

He said that this is a costly project and will be a model Civic Centre in the country, having offices, bank branches, utility store and residential blocks.

He announced the establishment of USC store in Gwadar, saying that it would be operational before the start of Ramazan.

He said that 500 out of 1000 houses would be given to fishermen at the housing scheme in Sur Bandar area.

Shaukat said he wants to take Pakistan on the road of development and prosperity and added that never in the history of Pakistan such development schemes were carried out by any government.

He said that people have been witnessing progress on these projects and therefore they would reject pessimistic elements.

The Prime Minister said that Gwadar Port would generate economic activity in the area and road network would connect it with Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia as the most important route in the region for transportation.

The Prime Minister said that the federal government would spend all money on development projects as the government has decided to federalise the schemes for rapid progress on these projects.

He said the second phase of Gwadar Port would start after completion of Phase-I. The GPA has been asked to make this port operational and market its facilities.

Shaukat advised the people of Balochistan to welcome investment in Gwadar. "The world has changed and this is the era of globalisation and you must welcome investors in Gwadar," he added.

The Prime Minister said that investment would open avenues for further development and generate job opportunities in Gwadar.

He said the government was working on a project to attract tourists to Gwadar. He said: "Hotels are coming up very fast, and I am happy to see new hotels in Gwadar, especially Pearl Continental Hotel."

He said that first flight of new ATR aircraft of PIA, replacing Fokkers, would land at Gwadar airport. "I have asked PIA to use this new aircraft on Karachi-Gwadar route," he added amid applause.

Addressing Senator Ismail Buledi, the Prime Minister in a lighter mood said that opposition "also supports our good work". He said the opposition should make positive criticism and also suggest remedies to help the government in the redressal of the problems.

He said that government wanted to set up a mega refinery at Gwadar to refine crude and supply in the region. It would be a mega project and would take time. But the thinking on this project should start now, he noted.

He said that Balochistan government should further improve its governance and bring in more transparency in the working. The Prime minister noted that Balochistan has vast potential for development in agriculture, energy, livestock, mining, fisheries sectors and the government would explore all potential. "These sectors will generate employment opportunities."

UnitedPakistan

January 12th, 2006, 09:22 PM

I must say if we look at the governments handling of new cities they actually do a very good job. Take a look at Islamabad as a example...

UnitedPakistan

January 12th, 2006, 10:32 PM

Gwadar to have refineries: Musharraf

* President says refineries will work for regional needs
* Urges civil servants to be good governors
* Hopes Kashmir solution acceptable to all

RAWALPINDI: President General Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday Pakistan would set up oil refineries at Gwadar to serve as a regional trade hub and provide cost-effective fuel to sustain the country’s high economic growth.

Addressing a gathering of senior civil servants, the president said the government was also developing gas, coal, water and alternate energy sources to minimise the country’s dependence on imported oil.

“We have planned for our energy requirements for the next 15 years because this will be the lifeline for a vibrant economy,” he told the participants of a management course at the National School of Public Policy. He said Pakistan had has reduced its dependence on oil for power generation from 70 to 59 percent through the greater use of gas and intended to bring it down to 30 percent in the near future.

The president said the region needed more oil refineries, therefore the government had decided to set up the facilities. “That way we will turn Gwadar into a regional corridor to Central Asian states and western regions of China and also get cost-effective oil for higher economic growth,” he said.

Musharraf said large coal and alternate energy sources were present in the country and said their non-utilisation in favour of expensive oil-generated power had burdened the national exchequer and adversely impacted the economic growth. He said that Pakistan also needed large water reservoirs to meet its energy requirements in agricultural and industrial sectors. “Pakistan has abundant natural resources and intelligent people to become a modern country in the comity of nations,” he said.

The president told the civil servants that they had an important responsibility of providing good governance. “It is a combination of good governance from both the politicians and civil servants that will improve the performance in all sectors,” he stressed. He listed nepotism and corruption as the main problems hindering a merit-oriented system and said that each individual had the moral obligation to adhere to the principle of merit-based promotions. “We must not allow the promotion of mediocrity at the cost of merit and we must focus on capacity-building of superior cadres, who should be able to respond to the ever new demands of progress and development,” he said.

The president went on to say that Pakistan was confronting challenges on multiple fronts, contributing to peace in the region and the world at large and also endeavouring to improve the quality of life of its people. Pakistan, he said, was engaged in a dialogue with India for the settlement of all disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir. He hoped that with flexibility, sincerity and boldness, the two sides would be able to take the peace process to its logical conclusion.

“Now there is a realisation that coercive diplomacy can no longer work and I am hopeful that a solution acceptable to Pakistan, India and the people of Jammu and Kashmir can be achieved,” he said. On extremism, he said, the country would address the problem through a long-term prudent approach while it would continue to deal with terrorism through force.

The president, who also replied to a number of questions from the participants, said the country had witnessed a decline in poverty in both rural and urban areas in the recent years. “I will supplement the efforts of the government in attaining better health and education for people at the grassroots level and also the provision of safe-drinking water to all by 2007,” he said. app

cntower

January 13th, 2006, 09:59 AM

Yaar everything looks good; just getting there is a problem!

The only real thing linking Gwadar with the rest of Pakistan is the Markan Coastal Highway. Other than that PIA's service to Gwadar isn't extensive at all!

I really think the country should start a ferry service between Karachi and Gwadar it would really help. A lot of people I know want to see Gwadar...but can't because there is no easy way of getting there!

cntower

January 13th, 2006, 10:14 AM

Move it to the Gwadar thread...

pakboy

January 14th, 2006, 12:05 PM

BREAKING NEWS

the gwadar port will open on june 1st 2006.

and pearl continental will open on may 7th 2006.

both are completed.

UnitedPakistan

January 14th, 2006, 01:57 PM

Then when I go the port will be open!

pakboy

January 15th, 2006, 07:29 AM

CHINA VILLAGE

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1137302118.jpg

pakboy

January 15th, 2006, 03:50 PM

update from www.gwadarcorner.com/

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/gtown/1.jpg

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/gtown/2.jpg

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/gtown/4.jpg

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/gtown/6.jpg

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/gtown/7.jpg

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/gtown/8.jpg

Gumnaam

January 15th, 2006, 04:12 PM

^^ Nice pics pakboy! Thanks!

Zulqi Pak

January 15th, 2006, 05:35 PM

I really think that the Pakistani Government should connect Gwadar to all the major cities by train. A train service (maybe Maglev?) should be established in Gwadar that links to all the big cities. This would not only be useful for people to travel to or from Gwadar much easier but containers loaded with products can be transferred by train throughout Pakistan.

pakboy

January 15th, 2006, 06:10 PM

they are currently working on the Feasibility report for the rail. it would hopefully be done soon.

ahmed_s

January 15th, 2006, 08:24 PM

pakboy...zabardast photos!!!

pakboy

January 16th, 2006, 12:28 AM

Gwadar Housing Schemes Locations

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1137340760.jpg

Red aRRow

January 16th, 2006, 12:39 AM

Thanks for the pics.
BTW has anybody noticed that just like the hammerhead of Gwadar...there is one to the east. Check it from Google Earth and move from Karachi to Gwadar on the coast. There are two hammerheads. I don't know which one is the first one....probably Ormara but nor sure.
The hammerhead which comes to the west is Gwadar.

UnitedPakistan

January 16th, 2006, 01:16 AM

The other one is Ormara

cntower

January 18th, 2006, 07:05 AM

The rail option for Gwadar should be light rail no question about it...surface trams and extensive bus networks...stop people from using gas guzzlers right from the get go.

Yeah PC Gwadar is done they have ads in The Daily Times and The News

Sania

January 24th, 2006, 06:24 AM

well 5 star PC hotel Gawadar is going to open in may 2006 i saw on add in magazine.the building is not very well only about 5-7 storey and same as hotel not looks so huge,that looks like pc peshawar or rawalpindi.
5 star PC Muzaffarabad will open on 31 march 2006 by president MUSHRAFF.PC muzaffarabad building is so amazing.the hotel has different modern blocks.some are 2 storey and some looks 4 storey

UnitedPakistan

January 24th, 2006, 06:36 AM

cntower

January 25th, 2006, 01:38 AM

I'm pretty sure you can...but what's to see?

asfar

January 25th, 2006, 02:20 AM

:clown:

UnitedPakistan

January 25th, 2006, 02:57 AM

This summer I am planning to go see what the fuss is all about. And actually there is something to see! I want to see the progress of Gwader so we can all finally be clear if this small fishing village can become what our government visioned. I also heard the area is very nice!

UnitedPakistan

January 25th, 2006, 02:57 AM

PAKISTAN’S "GOLD COAST"
http://www.defencejournal.com/images/sehgal2.jpg Publisher and Managing Editor IKRAM SEHGAL wrote this article for THE NATION from where it is re-produced with thanks
If any other country in the world had the type of coast that Pakistan has, long stretches of virgin beaches with vast empty spaces hinterland, it would have been commercially exploited to the limit by now. But Pakistani planners being what they are, more akin to a mule with blinders, their focus has been more or less along the Indus Valley, with only lip-service attention to other areas. Whereas in the early days of the country it made sense, for a country with one seaport serving a population of 130 million (not counting the hundreds of millions in countries beyond) it is imperative to have alternatives. Furthermore domestic population congestion and economic factors because of the emerging markets of Central Asia require that a new sea-land dimension along a different axis be added for expansion or otherwise all facilities and opportunities are likely to be clogged and choked up.If we take a bird's eye view of Pakistan's coast from Karachi westwards, we have in succession at least three possible ports capable of processing ocean-going vessels with minimum of effort. Very rightly the Pakistan Navy is already building up Ormara as a major naval base to shift emphasis away from the single bottleneck at Karachi. While retaining Ormara for purely military use, what is required now is a sustained effort at both Pasni and Gwadar, with focus on the latter for carving out Pakistan's economic destiny in the 21st century.

Once oil was discovered in quantity in the Gulf, it was only a matter of time before some major commercial centres with port facilities came up, both inside and outside the Gulf. At that time Pakistan lost a golden opportunity for visionary planning. As it is Pakistani skilled and unskilled labour gave their blood and sweat to build up, along with a host of other Middle-Eastern cities, the two non-oil centres of Dubai and Bahrain in the Gulf, with Dubai as the prime free port in the Gulf. Because of inter-State problems, Iraq with Iran and Kuwait, the Gulf states with Iran, Saudi Arabia with Iran, etc, the Gulf can become a closed lake because of a very low flashpoint at the very hint of trouble, the Iran-Iraq war and the Gulf War taking place in the last two decades. As such, while in peacetime the ports are commercially very viable, in times of stress they become very vulnerable. Also, if Central Asia is to be commercially served, except for the Iranian ones, most of the ports are on the wrong side of the Gulf. For three major reasons, therefore, a port on the Pakistani coast on the Asian mainland in the vicinity of both the Gulf States and Iran becomes a viable proposition, viz (1) being outside the potential war zone (2) land access to the whole of Asia and (3) easy sea access to the Gulf ports making it an ideal transit station. Of particular interest would be to have supertankers offtake oil from oil staging points served by smaller vessels from the Gulf. Gwadar is the most preferable, being the better for the reasons aforementioned as well as having naturally sheltered port conditions on two sides. The Belgian Government had extended both a grant and aid that resulted in a fairly useful Fish Harbour constructed to international standards in the last 80s, early 90s.

If Gwadar had been developed as a major port at about the same time as Dubai, Dubai would never have had the commercial success it presently enjoys. Gwadar has many natural advantages that the Gulf lacks. For trade and commerce, Gwadar is a natural access port to Asia. It requires a road laterally to connect to the Iranian port of Chahbahar and thus the Iranian road network, it requires a road connection upto the RCD highway to give it access to not only whole of Central Asia but also South Western China, particularly Sinkiang Province. Because of the Karakoram Highway, it would be more economically feasible for China to have land access to Kashgar etc through Gwadar. Similarly Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhastan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan can best be served from Gwadar. Obviously Gwadar presently has major hurdles to overcome, among them electricity and potable water. Partly this can be immediately supplied by having a barge-mounted power-cum-desalination plant, partly by having a major utility power base planned, with potable water being piped from not more than 18-20 kms away from a vast river cache formation. The Navy has already got a well-established base of sorts for many years, the Pakistan Coast Guards have a battalion. To give adequate sense of protection, the Pakistan Army could have a composite Brigade Group in a permanent location at Gwadar. As much as America's west was opened up by the US Seventh Cavalry establishing forts in succession, the Pakistan Armed Forces can play a very salutary role here. Everyone knows how defence townships naturally become the hub of ancillary commercial activity.

It is believed that the Ministry of Communications has been working on a comprehensive plan to establish a two-lane coastal road. It has prepared a detailed study of each portion of the road from Lyari (West Karachi) upto Gwadar and beyond. The only objection one has is why should we not be bold in our planning and opt for a four-lane (or even a six-lane) coastal highway from day one? In fact let's go better than that, why not establish a Pakistan Coastal Authority which will be charged with viz (1) developing the coastal highway in collaboration with the National Highway Authority and (2) the commercial development of the three seaports of Ormara, Pasni and Gwadar with major emphasis on Gwadar? In the present Federal Minister of Communications we have a very dynamic and upright person. Raja Nadir Pervaiz is no ordinary human being, he is one of Pakistan's genuine heroes and has worked his way up in politics the hard way. This straightforward former soldier is known to be a man with drive and initiative, the PM has entrusted the right man for the right job. One feels that since the PM himself is a builder by instinct, he well realises the economic potential of sound communications, he should put the utmost priority in developing the prime piece of real estate that stretches for 500 to 600 kms of virgin territory along the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. He should get out of the bureaucratic straitjacket that is strangling his initiative and vision, the two qualities that went towards re-energizing a dormant PML. One can only visualise the great cities that can come up along the highways as mini-ports serving the commerce and industry as well as tourism. There can be vast stretches of inland fish and shrimp farms, coconut and date cultivations, even fruit under controlled conditions, etc. Visionary planning coupled with effective implementation is required, the number of jobs that will be created for the next 30-40 years is by itself staggering. Pakistan will become the hub of economic activity.

We have reached a virtual state of stagnation in commerce and industry, the result is we now have surplus electricity. We can spout lip-service rhetoric till kingdom come, at best our economic planners are hoping for miracles. Unless we take bold steps to open up Pakistan's coast for economic exploitation in a planned manner, we will be strangled by the over-population as well as slow down of job creation. The PM was once reputed to be a man of vision, let him support Raja Nadir Pervaiz with all the means at his disposal to make the vast ocean front into Pakistan's 'Gold Coast'. Pakistan's economic destiny lies along this seashore, do we have the vision and the courage to meet up with this challenge?

cntower

January 25th, 2006, 08:29 PM

Ikram Sehgal is an intelligent writer; very knowledgable.

Plus he's the only Pakistani who has visited Israel.

January 25th, 2006, 09:33 PM

The Government should also keep in mind the 'essential' need of the residents of Gwadar, like Water, Electricity and Sanitation.

Water, Electric lines should be placed underground and proper sanitation facilities to avoid the situation that has gripped Karachi for more then a decade.

Plus I dont know if anyone else noticed but I didnt see a single Mass-Transit plan for Gwadar, weird but I think if the govt. wants to make Gwadar a world-class city it should also include a world-class mass transit system for it.

And seriously I think its "Gwadar" not "Gawadar", anyone has the true story behind the real name for it? Because I see ads in Karachi's billboards, some saying Gwadar and some saying Gawadar, whats up with that!

pakboy

January 26th, 2006, 04:02 PM

here is a full report on gwadar with pictures of latest developments/

http://www.gwadarcorner.com/gcba4.pdf

im not happy seeing electric wires hanging over jinnah avenue,

pakboy

January 27th, 2006, 03:35 PM

Gwadar’s industrial estate to be ready soon

QUETTA, Jan 26: The first industrial estate of the emerging port city of Gwadar will be functional by the end of the year. Over 1,100 plots have been allotted to industrialists in the estate.

The Balochistan government has earmarked over 3,000 acres of land for the estate and development work was inaugurated by Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf.

This would be the biggest industrial estate in Balochistan, Jam Yousuf said on the occasion, adding that Gwadar would play an important role in boosting Pakistan’s economic and industrial hubs.

The government would provide protection to investors and their capital, the chief minister said, adding that he would take up the issue of incentive package for the estate with the federal government.

The project director of the estate, M. B. Magsi, said that in the first phase, a special committee had allotted 1,136 acres of land to industrialists while 455 applications were pending.

He said that development work was under way and seven acres of land had been handed over to the Quetta Electricity Supply Company for construction of a 24-mw grid station. It would cost Rs100 million and get power supply from Iran.

He said that a desalination plant with a capacity of 20 million litres would also be set up to meet the requirements of the industrial estate.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during the recent ground-breaking ceremony had promised that half of the cost of the desalination plant would be met by the federal government and the other half by the provincial government.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/01/27/nat2.htm

cntower

February 1st, 2006, 11:25 PM

http://www.visiongwadar.com/platinum/images/plan.jpg

UnitedPakistan

February 2nd, 2006, 02:30 AM

For some reason I just dont like that design!

UnitedPakistan

February 4th, 2006, 05:09 AM

That picture is not Gwader...

The sediment/sand in that picture is from a Island or a old old beach. New beach's have darker color's if they are inland.

Besides that type of tree growth can not be found there anyway. And quite honestly I prefer Gwader's look instead of that picture that was posted.

Intoxication

February 4th, 2006, 05:21 PM

http://www.nespak.com.pk/services/images/8-4.jpg
Akra Kaur Dam Project
View of lake created behind Akra Kaur Dam for water supply to Gwadar and adjoining areas

cntower

February 5th, 2006, 06:02 PM

Is the whole electrical grid in Gwadar going to be above ground or underground? Those hanging lines are just temporary right? Please say yes...

it would be such a shame to see that; they have to put everything underground!

huit

February 8th, 2006, 12:38 PM

^ good news!

shayan

February 13th, 2006, 01:53 PM

Are there any contruction pictures?

Intoxication

February 13th, 2006, 03:39 PM

EDIT: Pics no longer working!

Intoxication

February 13th, 2006, 03:42 PM

EDIT: Pics no longer working!

Intoxication

February 13th, 2006, 03:45 PM

EDIT: Pics no longer working!

Intoxication

February 13th, 2006, 03:48 PM

EDIT: Pics no longer working!

DUBAI

February 14th, 2006, 02:00 AM

WoW, what a great informative thread!

how big is the actual port? [ asin length of berthing]???
looks like the navy have done well too!

it looks incredible, will be very interesting to see this place grow out of nothing.

i think that sunset pic on the first page is diamond head, hawaii btw.

if it looks like that it will be fantastic!

UnitedPakistan

February 14th, 2006, 05:10 AM

http://www.gwadarsabzimandi.com/Images/FutureGwadar.jpg

You mean this one?

We are not sure on the actual numbers on the port. We just know it received the designation of the 3rd largest deep sea port. The port is still be constructed and completion is sometime around August or July.

DUBAI

February 14th, 2006, 02:33 PM

yeah, waikiki beach, honululu, hawaii.

UnitedPakistan

February 14th, 2006, 04:30 PM

The problem is the city is full of construction workers and real estate tycoons since the land price just got jacked up. These people just dont have the time to take pictures. No worries I will go in a couple of months to Gwadar to report on the current status.

pakboy

February 14th, 2006, 05:03 PM

can you please delete all those pictures, this thread is for news and updates, not pictures of the city, if you want to post pictures then post pictures of the developments which we need.

btw, not all of those pics are of gwadar, most of those pics are from around makran.

UnitedPakistan

February 14th, 2006, 05:32 PM

No, this thread marks progress and it is to be used as a information hub in this section. Tourism is going to play a big role in Gwadar's development.

mirzathe

February 15th, 2006, 03:34 AM

Free port strategy for Gwadar under study

KARACHI (February 15 2006): The Ministry of Ports and Shipping is actively considering a proposal to lease out the entire operation of Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) to any private operator, with freedom to implement free port strategy.

In this regard, the government is negotiating with some Middle East companies in private sector to manage the entire operation of Gwadar port, but at the same time, the ministry is also working on giving the GPA on 'Build, Operate and Transfer' (BOT) basis or 'Build, Operate and Own' (BOO) basis.

Sources told Business Recorder after the opening ceremony of the two-day international conference on Ports and Harbours on Tuesday organised by Karachi Port Trust (KPT).

They said that there was a proposal for partly leasing out, or give the entire port operation of the Gwadar Port on BOT basis. But there are some issues related to the port, like communication and infrastructure, with at least four or five major cities through highways.

Another issue is to provide tax holiday for the port operator, if the government gives formal approval. The port operator has to start its 'operation' from scratch and there should be some relief on such basis, sources said.

They that said all details regarding selection of suitable private sector companies to operate the Gwadar Port would be submitted to the Prime Minister at a later stage.

Presently, the Gwadar Port is carrying out capital dredging through 'China Harbour' at a cost of $50 million grant provided Chinese Government to increase draught from 12.5 to 14.5 metres to accommodate large vessels.

The first phase of the deep-water port project includes three multipurpose berths of 200 metres length each, with 500 metres backup area and related ancillary facilities, five-kilometre approach channel dredged to accommodate 30,000 to 50,000 dead weight tonnage (DWT) cargo handling equipment and operational crafts.

China has provided $198 million, including a grant of $49 million, while Pakistan has contributed $50 million for the first phase of the project.

The master plan envisages in addition to the port, development of projects for the port areas, roads, Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), housing and power and water supply to maximise its potential.

The specific objective is to provide port facilities at the strategic location opposite to strait of Hormus and on the mouth of Persian Gulf and provide warehousing, transhipment and industrial facilities for trade to over 20 countries, including Central Asian States, Afghanistan, neighbouring Gulf states, East Africa, Red Sea and North West India.

Qatar4Ever

February 21st, 2006, 10:33 PM

Nice pic, reminds of some of Qatar's older fishing villages.

UnitedPakistan

February 21st, 2006, 11:25 PM

The locals are being relocated and the old town bulldozed to make room for the new scrapers.

singaporean

February 25th, 2006, 08:29 AM

Foreign firms may handle Gwadar port

By Ihtasham ul Haque

ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: The government has contacted several international companies to independently operate the Gwadar deep sea port after its completion by June this year. Official sources told Dawn on Friday that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz would chair a meeting of the Gwadar Policy ‘Board on Saturday to review the progress of work on port. The minister for ports and shipping, the chief minister of Balochistan and senior officials will attend the meeting.

A number of international companies, including one from China, have expressed their willingness to operate the port. “The port is almost complete and will be commissioned by June 30 this year,” a senior official said.

The Saturday meeting, he said, would take into account some difficulties currently being faced by the provincial government as well as the Gwadar port authority to commission it at the earliest.

Sources said that the government had given additional $50 million to the ministry of communications to complete the much needed first phase of the port at an upwardly revised cost of $298 million.

The additional funding has been provided to urgently install the required equipment, complete the civil works and build roads linking the port with Quetta and other upcoming areas.

However, sources said the government has decided “not” to allow construction of the second phase of port unless its first phase was completed, which was originally to be competed in April 2005 at a cost of $248 million.

The Chinese side has completed its work while the local authorities completed the development of infrastructure including the building of a road from Gwadar to Karachi.

Sources said the second phase of the project will be undertaken, hopefully later this year at a cost of $865 million. It will be completed by 2010.

Phase-2 will be executed by the private sector to accommodate 50,000 DWT container ships, 100,000 DWT dry bulk carriers and upto 200,000 DWT oil tanker, three container terminals (2010m length), one bulk cargo terminal (305m length), one grain handling terminal (305m length), one twin pier oil terminal (688m length), breakwater (600m length), approach channel (16.0/20.0m deep), back up areas, craft & equipment and building, etc.

Phase-1 was being built by the public sector with the Chinese assistance and included three multipurpose berths (602m quay length, one service berth (100m length), 4.35 km navigable channel (11.6/12.5m deep), roads, plinths & transit shed, operational craft and equipment including navigational aids and shore based port buildings and allied facilities.

Sources said that completion of phase-2 will help meet strategic needs and standby facility to Port Qasim and Karachi Port in case of emergencies. The construction of phase-2 will be completed on the basis of Built Operate Own (BOO) and Built Operate Transfer (BOT) basis. “However, if the private sector does not respond favourably, public sector financing will be required to develop phase-2 of the port,” a source said.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/02/25/nat6.htm

singaporean

February 26th, 2006, 08:29 AM

Talks proposed with Dubai firm to operate Gwadar port

By Ihtasham ul Haque

ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday approved a proposal to initiate negotiations with the Dubai Port World (DP World) for appointment as operators for the Gwadar port.

Presiding over a meeting of Gwadar Port Policy Board (GPPB), the prime minister constituted a team from ministries of finance, law, planning and development division and the ministry of ports and shipping to negotiate the terms with the DP World.

The DP World is an international experienced management team, which was maintaining 17 terminals in different countries since 1972.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister of Balochistan Jam Mohammad Yousuf, Senior Minister of Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghouri and other senior officials will attend the meeting.

A list of several international companies was worked out by the GPPB to entrust it to independently operate the Gwadar port. Of these Mr Aziz approved the DP World for the purpose.

The meeting was informed that the Gwadar port will be functional by the middle of this year mostly in June after the completion of additional dredging of the channel to 14.5 meters making it the deepest port of the country and the trans-shipment port for the region.

An official announcement said that the dredging of Gwadar port channel to 14.5 meter, which has been undertaken by a Chinese company would make it a regional hub. It would enable it to receive the mother vessels. The cargo dropped by the mother vessels would be taken to Karachi and other regional ports by the feeder vessels or trucks.

Mr Aziz also reviewed the future planning of Gwadar port, master plan of Gwadar port and its related infrastructure, East Bay Express Way, Gwadar Port Civil Centre.

He asked the chairman Gwadar Port Authority and Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Ports and Shipping to ensure timely implementation of projects.

Mr Aziz said the completion of Gwadar port would generate substantial economic opportunities for Balochistan and usher in a new era of development and prosperity for the people there.

He said it would also contribute to the mineral development of Balochistan and the province would use the port to fully utilise its mineral development potential.

An official said the port will generate foreign exchange earnings as the vessels registered under foreign flags are required to pay some portion of charges in foreign exchange through their local agents for cargoes.

Gwadar has an edge over Port Salalah of Oman and Iran’s proposed upgradation of Port Chah Bahar. However, Gwadar will have to compete with both the foreign ports.

Gwadar was expected to serve as Mother Port at the strategic location opposite to Straits of Hormuz and on the mouth of Persian Gulf and provide port, warehousing, trans-shipment and industrial facilities for trade with over 20 countries including Gulf states, Central Asian Republics, Iran, East Africa, Red-Sea countries and North West parts of the Peoples Republic of China and India.

A special industrial development zone with an area of 4,000 hectare has been proposed for setting up various industries. The export processing zone has also been planned for assembling plant and other industries. Oil storage yard and refinery has also been proposed in the north of Gwadar town.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/02/26/nat1.htm

cntower

February 27th, 2006, 02:05 AM

Gwadar Seaport Soon To Be Operational
Feb 26th 2006

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Gwadar Seaport will be functional by the middle of this year after completion of additional dredging of the channel to 14.5 meters, making it the deepest port of country and transshipment port for the region.

This was conveyed to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in a meeting of Gwadar Port Policy Board chaired by him here at the Prime Minister House yesterday

The dredging of Gwadar Port channel to 14.5 meter which has been undertaken by a Chinese Company will make it a regional hub, as it will enable the port to receive the mother vessels.

The cargo dropped by the mother vessels will be taken to Karachi and other regional ports by the feeder vessels or trucks.

Prime Minister Aziz said, the completion of Gwadar Port will generate substantial economic opportunities for Balochistan and usher in a new era of development and prosperity for the people of this area.

The meeting was attended by Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Senior Minister for Defence, Jam Muhammad Yousuf, Chief Minister, Balochistan, Babar Khan Ghouri, Minister for Ports and Shipping and senior officials.

Link (http://www.pakistanlink.com/Headlines/Feb06/26/04.htm)

Techno-Architect

February 27th, 2006, 11:09 PM

Gud news!! :)
^^^^^^^^

Red aRRow

March 5th, 2006, 01:56 PM

New railway track for Gwadar port in Pakistan Shortly
Saturday March 04, 2006 (1526 PST)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways (PR) will lay a new track from Gwadar connecting with existing rail network at Quetta-Kohi Taftan Section to enhance trade activities at Gwadar Port.

Minister for Railways, Mian Shamim Haidar said on Friday that the new track will serve for the people to and from Iran and Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics.

He said the rail link will commence from Gwadar and would pass through Turbat, Hushab, Panjgoor, Nag, Besima, Surab and Kalat before reaching the last destination Mastung.

Shamim Haidar said the route also runs through the central portion of Balochistan where a number of district roads would provide opportunity to the local people to reach the nearest Railway Station.

He said the project would provide the required strength and economic boost to the future projects in Balochistan.

Feasibility Study

The Minister said a detailed feasibility study was also carried out by Pakistan Railways through M/s Engineering Associates.

On the basis of the feasibility report, he said, PR would earn Rs. 3 billion per annum from passengers and freight transportation which would be increased with the passage of time adding over Rs. 70.63 billion would be spent on this project.

When asked, the Minister said, "being a deep water port, Gwadar will become a regional hub and a vital link to Central Asian Republics, thus attracting the transit trade," he added.

To a question, Shamim Haidar said, "We are committed to provide speedy, timely and latest transport facilities to railways customers and taking a number of steps in this regard."
Courtesy Pakistantimes.net

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=136194

TORONTOCOPENHAGEN

March 10th, 2006, 03:35 PM

The nature is stunning here!

Let us hope Gwadar will be nicely developed.

Peter K

pakboy

March 12th, 2006, 05:56 PM

get your job at pc/

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1142175353.jpg

Intoxication

March 22nd, 2006, 07:14 PM

DPW may bid for Gwadar phase-2
BY JAMILA QADIR
22 March 2006

DUBAI — DP World is expected to bid for the $865 million phase two of the new deepwater port of Gwadar built in Pakistan’s Balochistan province with Chinese collaboration, according to shipping industry sources.

Last month Pakistan has approved the start of negotiations with DP World as a potential operator of Gwadar.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $1.6 billion, of which China has contributed about $198 million for the first phase, almost four times the amount Pakistan has contributed for this phase.

China has invested another $200 million to build a highway connecting Gwadar Port with Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, itself a port.

The Pakistani government has already finalised plans for the second phase of the port to be built by the private sector. It will have three container terminals with a quay length of two kilometres, a bulk cargo terminal, a grain terminal and an oil terminal.

The Gwadar Port Implementation Authority is expected to begin negotiations with prospective operators soon before calling for official tenders. The government proposes to operate Gwadar as a free port along the lines of Jebel Ali terminal.

The second phase, which will have nine more berths, an approach channel and storage terminals, is also financed by China.

DP World was among companies that expressed interest in operating the port’s $300 million first phase, which was completed with a Chinese loan in April last year. Other companies in the running include DP World’s arch-rivals Hutchison Port Holdings of Hong Kong and PSA International of Singapore.

Although Hutchison already operates the two-berth Karachi International Container Terminal in Pakistan, DP World is considered the favourite, according to shipping industry observers.

The port’s first phase has three multipurpose berths with a quay length of 600 metres, a 100 metre service berth and a 4.35 kilometre long navigation channel that has a draught of between 11.5 metres and 12.5 metres, depending on the tidal situation.

The channel is being dredged to 14.5 metres to allow the latest generation container ships to call the port.

According to shipping experts, handling over operations to an international operator would help to develop Gwadar as a regional hub.

Its strategic location as the southern extension of Pakistan into the Arabian Sea allows it to be the ideal egress gateway for transit traffic into the landlocked Central Asian republics, Afghanistan and Iran.

Pakistan Railways, meanwhile, is carrying out a feasibility study for building a railway line from Gwadar to the Afghani border.

Pakistan invited international bids early last year to operate its new deepwater multipurpose port at Gwadar.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2006/March/business_March439.xml&section=business

pakboy

March 25th, 2006, 12:56 AM

China to give $22.26m for Gwadar

BEIJING: A credit agreement of US $22.26 million for additional dredging of Gwadar Deep Seaport project was signed on Friday.

The agreement was signed by Ambassador Salman Bashir and EXIM Bank of China Assistant President Liang Xiang. Extra dredging will enable 50,000 DWT vessels to utilize the Gwadar port. The development of Gwadar port is a shining example of Pakistan-China cooperation and it is expected to be ready for operation later this year. Xiang also assured the ambassador that they would continue to actively support other major economic projects in Pakistan. The EXIM Bank assistant president praised both governments for their support in the project. The ambassador expressed his gratitude for China’s valuable support to Pakistan’s economic development.

Sources said the port would be functional after the completion of additional dredging of the channel to 14.5 metres, making it the deepest port of Pakistan and trans-shipment port for the region.

The dredging, which has been undertaken by a Chinese Company, will make Gwadar a regional hub, enabling the port to receive mother vessels. The cargo dropped by the mother vessels will be taken to Karachi and other regional ports by feeder vessels or trucks. APP

Home | National
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\03\25\story_25-3-2006_pg7_11

pakboy

March 25th, 2006, 12:57 AM

Musharraf to inaugurate Gwadar Port on 28th

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Construction work at the Gwadar Port has been completed and President Pervez Musharraf will inaugurate the port on March 28, Aaj Television channel reported on Friday. The Gwadar Port Project was initiated in March 2002 with the cooperation of China, which invested more than $200 million in the project, the channel reported. A high-level official from China is also expected to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Port, the channel said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\03\25\story_25-3-2006_pg7_12

asfar

March 25th, 2006, 09:42 PM

thts gona be a great day for PAKISTAN...

can anybody record the news clip when they show musharraf inagurating the port and post it here........i really wana see it.

UnitedPakistan

March 25th, 2006, 09:57 PM

I am definetly going this summer and I will be proud that I will walking through plots and on the beach where one day we will have a bigger and better city than Dubai and I will be able to claim that I saw it before that sort of development.

asfar

March 27th, 2006, 02:03 AM

thats the spirit my brother....im really happy today....i jst confirmed my ticket for pakistan on the 28th of may....im gona be going for 3 mths....

_BPS_

March 29th, 2006, 04:16 AM

I went to Gwadar, Pasni, in January this year, for a business trip. Seen alot of foreigners (Chinese, and some other type of Asians, mostly). Only stayed there for a day.. so I didn't get to observe it very well. Though, the beaches were very nice, topped with the warm weather.
The coastal highway from Karachi. Nice scenery all along. Though, at times, there were not any service stations for a loooong distance. But I guess they can improve on that.
Also, if any of you plan on going, watchout for these little insects by the road. A local told me that one bite can get you paralyzed, neck down, for 3-8 months. Not sure if that is true.

Another important thing I noted was that alot of luxury/sports cars are being smuggled in, from Iran. I remember I came across atleast 10-15 nice cars (mostly beemers, mercs, and lexus'), in one night. Anyone have any info on this? I don't have much detail of it myself.

UnitedPakistan

March 29th, 2006, 04:29 AM

BPS did you go on a coach or did you use your car?

Can you please find out where I can get a coach to Gwadar from?

Was it safe along the way and in the city? for women as well?

what about hotels and scenery in the city?

_BPS_

March 29th, 2006, 06:13 AM

I went on a car, and came back on a private plane from Pasni. I don't know about coaches.. I'll try and see if I can get some info on them.
As for safety, it seemed pretty safe to me. Never thought of the way a women would feel :| Though, I did not see many women while on the road. Actually, I don't think I saw any, except for at the service stations. I stayed at a guarded private residence, so the safety there was not an issue. I really did NOT have much spare time to explore the area (was on a tight schedule). I believe there are some local hotels and guesthouses, though, no idea how good they are quality wise.
Much of the city is still undeveloped, but it is improving, and heavy construction going on in some areas. The scenery is fabolous. The beaches are sandy, like a desert touching the ocean. Also the the rugged terrain (especially around the highway) is really scenic.
I goto Pakistan every year, sometimes twice a year, and am planning on going this summer. I will be visiting Gwadar again, if not in the summer, than definitely in January. I have some contacts who go there often (they actually work there), and if you'd like to go along with them, let me know, and I can try and arrange it.
Hope this helps.

UnitedPakistan

March 29th, 2006, 09:25 PM

Thanks!

Only if I knew where to get the coach and at what times I will be able to stop at Karachi and Gwadar. How did the city feel? Safe or did you feel fear anytime during your visit or apprehensions. If they are rest houses I am sure I can stay there since I have my connections and relatives. I am also going June 30th of this summer. My trip will be very long though spending a lot of my time in the northern area's approx 28 days.

Check out my PakTrip thread in Gupshup

pakboy

March 29th, 2006, 11:00 PM

i am going from dubai to lahore, does anyone know if the plane flys over gwadar so i can take some snaps of some aerial views of it.

UnitedPakistan

March 29th, 2006, 11:40 PM

what airline?

_BPS_

March 30th, 2006, 02:00 AM

UP,
I felt very relaxed on my trip. I was a bit too excited. Maybe thats why.

pakboy,
The Emirates flight from Lahore to Dubai flies over Gwadar. & from Dubai to Lahore, if I remember correctly, mine did not fly as close as on the way back. When I viewed Gwadar from that plane, I could only see the outskirts of the city, as most of it was covered by clouds. Nonetheless, its a pretty nice view from the plane - brown (desert-like) terrain touching the green coloured sea.

asfar

March 30th, 2006, 02:45 AM

the insect that BPS is talking about is the sand fly and yes one bite does get you in bed for mths...but it can only fly uptil the knees i think becaue it is very tiny and cant be seen with the naked eye. so UP make sure ure not wearing shorts. but im pretty sure ud be fine in a tshirt

UnitedPakistan

March 30th, 2006, 03:50 AM

Yeah, thats the last thing I need!

singaporean

March 30th, 2006, 11:21 AM

Gwadar gas pipeline project inaugurated

GWADAR, March 29: President General Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday that Rs120 to Rs140 billion was being spent on various mega-projects in Balochistan, including Gwadar port, coastal highway and Mirani dam.

“This will usher in an era of prosperity in the province and people will reap its benefits,” he said while inaugurating the Gwadar Gas Pipeline Pilot Project completed by Sui Southern Gas Company at a cost of Rs100 million.

The president said it was his dream to make Gwadar port one of the most modern ports in the world. “We want to operate this port in the best possible manner. We will select best company in the world to operate this port on most modern lines. Nobody should have any doubt in his mind about this.”

He said the draught of Gwadar port would be raised to 15 metres “making Gwadar port one of the deepest draught ports in the world”.

President Musharraf said: “I am focussing on poverty alleviation and I want to eliminate poverty in the country by increasing employment opportunities. Similarly, I want to control price-hike which is hurting the poor.”

He said provision of electricity, gas and clean drinking water to every Pakistani was also being taken up on priority.

He said jobs would be provided to the people of Gwadar on priority.

“Trust me and remember that whatever I will do will be in your interest. You give me support, I assure you of a better future. Prosperity will come to this province as well as the country,” the president said amid applause.

He called upon people to elect development-friendly and good candidates in the 2007 elections.

He said Pakistan did not possess the expertise to manage the Gwadar port and therefore the government had to hire experts from outside to run it.

He pointed out that foreign investors were showing interest in Gwadar, hotels were coming up and development schemes were taking shape. All these opportunities would go away if this port was not run properly, he observed.

Gen Musharraf said Mirani dam would help rehabilitate 34,000 acres of land in Balochistan and the coastal highway and Ratodero Road would connect the city to the rest of the country and to Afghanistan, Central Asian states and China.

Sardars warned: He said the government was undertaking development projects while few anti-development sardars were firing rockets on him. “They do not want development of people in Balochistan. We will not allow these sardars to hinder development work in Balochistan.”

He pointed out that there were only two to three sardars who had kept the province hostage for the past 40 years, but “we would not let them do it again”.

He said these sardars had created their own army, killed their own people, fired rockets, blown up railway lines and opposed development.

“They blackmail people and hinder development activities in the province. They do not want Gwadar port.”

The president said that Akbar Bugti had killed his tribesmen and expelled his own brother. His Rahija sub-tribe had been forced to leave their area and settle in Punjab and Sindh.

He said this sardar got millions in the past from PPL, purchased weapons, created his own private militia and lived lavishly in Karachi. But from now onwards he would not be able to expel the poor tribesmen, the president said, adding that Kalpars, Missoris and Rahijas were coming back to their homes in Sui, Baiker and Dera Bugti and the government would help in their rehabilitation and compensate them.

Similarly, he said, a Marri sardar took over coalmines near Quetta by force and killed opponents. They will not be able to repeat these crimes, he added.

President Musharraf said that people of Balochistan needed development and progress in their province and held out the assurance that the government would ensure continuation of the development process.

“I know how to face such elements and how to stop them from hindering development process in the province. I will do it and accomplish the development task,” he declared.

The governor and chief minister of Balochistan and ministers attended the ceremony.—APP

http://www.dawn.com/2006/03/30/top2.htm

Intoxication

March 30th, 2006, 05:42 PM

I like Musharraf's VISION and his GUTS for talking against the sardars and terrorrists and taking ACTION against them.

In one of the previous posts it said that Gwadar would be the 3rd largest port upon its completion, does anyone know which ports would be numer 1 and 2?

March 30th, 2006, 06:09 PM

Dubai, Singapore ?

UnitedPakistan

March 30th, 2006, 09:47 PM

I dont think that claim is accurate as they are doing more dredging to the port now and it will probaly reach 2nd spot.

merijanpakistan

March 31st, 2006, 05:23 AM

Salam,
I like Musharraf's VISION and his GUTS for talking against the sardars and terrorrists and taking ACTION against them.

In one of the previous posts it said that Gwadar would be the 3rd largest port upon its completion, does anyone know which ports would be numer 1 and 2?

I think they kind'a realized that Gwadar is not gonna be the 3rd deepest in the world. I ran a quick search and found that Rotterdam was 23 meters, while singapore was 15.3 meters. Channai in India is also around 17 meters. Many other ports are around this range, while many more are planning to deepen further. Some ports are competing with Rotterdam to get the credit for the deepest port, trying to cross 23 meters.

I agree, however, that Gwadar will be Pakistan's first Mother port.

Peace.

pakboy

March 31st, 2006, 09:19 AM

i think gwadar can easily get larger then rotterdam in the next 10 years because of all the cargo it would take in and out for all those CAS and west china, gwadar will also have a huge industrial zone, biggest in pak, and not forgetting its superb location right in the mouth of the gulf.

Dallas1

March 31st, 2006, 09:36 AM

Does any one know why depth matters? bin qasim or Karachi ports are not deep enough? I thought Karachi Port can handle all sorts of big freight ships

Intoxication

March 31st, 2006, 01:13 PM

Depth matters because if the port is not deep enough than some of the new, larger vessels, wont be able to enter the port and so the port will lose business to deeper ports.

_BPS_

April 1st, 2006, 02:21 AM

Anyone know the appr. depth of the port?

merijanpakistan

April 1st, 2006, 05:30 AM

Salam,
Does any one know why depth matters? bin qasim or Karachi ports are not deep enough? I thought Karachi Port can handle all sorts of big freight ships

Dallas, Karachi and Bin Qasim cannot handle Mother Ships. These are extremely huge ships of 50,000 or 100,000 or even 200,000 DWT. Bigger the size, the more cost-effective the journey is.

Now, there are limitations for each route and each sea port. For example, too big of a vessel cannot enter Panama Canal. Certain huge ones cannot enter Suiz Canal. With some ports, the sand under the port's edge is not too deep, and so too big of ships can't enter or dock at the port.

Karachi and Bin Qasim are natural harbours. Such harbours usually don't have very deep ports. Gwadar is not a natural harbour and is therefore an ideal place to make a mother port, that will supply huge cargo to smaller ports, like Karachi, through railway or roads.

Peace.

Kashmiri84

April 5th, 2006, 05:37 AM

April 6th, 2006, 03:46 AM

It'll take a lot of time before Gwadar beats Rotterdam... Rotterdam (and nearby Antwerp) are gateways into Europe, not just for the Benelux countries. While Gwadar is in a good position for entry into Central Asian countries, Central Asian countries are very poor and have tiny economies, which are furthermore more integrated into Russia than South Asia. Plus, unlike Rotterdam and Antwerp which cooperate, Gwadar must compete with Chah Bahar, which is a functioning port with an already well-developed urban area while Gwadar must start from scratch. So while its possible that Gwadar may be the next Dubai, it will take a looooooooooong time.

Yeah ,with the pace of world growth and specially the speed at which dubai (and other cities are growing) gwadar may need a lot of investment and some real smart policy brought to action at a reaalllll fast pace to get its position anywhere...Well as they say, its the first bird that gets it all

gud luck Gwadar

farhan

April 6th, 2006, 04:27 PM

Gwadar Port to be operational in June: Babar Ghauri

KARACHI: Gwadar Port will be operational after the completion of dredging in June this year and the President General Pervez Musharraf will inaugurate this port, said senator Babar Khan Ghauri, federal minister for ports and shipping.

“Dredging of the navigational channel at 14.5 draught will be completed in June this year,” the minister said. “The work on other chain facilities was also in final phase.” “We would finalise the selection of private port operators within one month to start port operations after two months,” he said. Talking to the media after inaugurating the media cell set up at Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) building here Wednesday, the minister said the government is expecting a huge foreign direct investment through Gwadar port.

The government is trying to provide maximum incentives and facilities to the investors at Gwadar, he added.

The federal minister for ports and shipping said Gwadar Port would be one of the leading ports of the region where mother ships would be calling. This would make it a cost competitive port as a larger ship bringing big volume of cargo would cost less to the port user in terms of per tone port charges.

To a question, he said the government was encouraging the employment of local people in various mega projects in Baluchistan including Gwadar port.

“President Musharraf is very sincere and serious to change the life style of people of Baluchistan through record development,” he said.

Highlighting the performance of his ministry over last couple of years, he said besides making Port Qasim and KPT services cost effective in the region, other achievements included the launching of many affiliated projects worth billions of rupees. Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) had been totally turned around, he added.

“PNSC once considered a dead organization earned more than Rs 3 billion in 2004-05,” the minister said adding that two oil tankers were also inducted in its fleet during last fiscal year. Other two tankers and one bulk cargo ship would be inducted within a year, he added.

When his attention was drawn to the delay in the planned Karachi-Mumbai ferry service, the minister said it would be started as soon as new shipping protocol between Pakistan and India was signed.

“From Pakistani side everything is clear. There are now positive signals from other side. Most likely, we go to India next month to ink this important agreement,” he said. He informed the media that three licenses were already issued to private firms to operate the ferry service and more could be issued if the situation demanded.

”The shipping protocol had been approved by federal cabinet and hopefully would be signed either late this month or earlier May with India,” he said.

Shipping protocol would help Pakistan and India to lift cargo from each other's ports for third party consignment.

He said absence of such a protocol had brought about huge financial losses to PNSC previously, which he thought, could be avoided in the presence of the shipping protocol. Regarding ferry services and issuance of licenses, he said it was linked with the formal agreement between Pakistan and India on shipping protocol. “Once shipping protocol is signed by both Pakistan and India then ferry services would be commenced from Karachi to Mumbai.” He said licenses for ferry operation from Karachi to Mumbai had been issued to the interested parties. He said that any party could acquire ferry license and there was no restriction in this regard. He said an American private firm was investing around Rs 1 billion on project, which would also leash out economic activities in the area on grand scale. He said Food Street would be completed within next 6 months. Staff Report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C04%5C06%5Cstory_6-4-2006_pg5_14

UnitedPakistan

April 6th, 2006, 09:23 PM

It'll take a lot of time before Gwadar beats Rotterdam... Rotterdam (and nearby Antwerp) are gateways into Europe, not just for the Benelux countries. While Gwadar is in a good position for entry into Central Asian countries, Central Asian countries are very poor and have tiny economies, which are furthermore more integrated into Russia than South Asia. Plus, unlike Rotterdam and Antwerp which cooperate, Gwadar must compete with Chah Bahar, which is a functioning port with an already well-developed urban area while Gwadar must start from scratch. So while its possible that Gwadar may be the next Dubai, it will take a looooooooooong time.
Chah Bahar is not a challenge for Pakistan nor a competitor. They have such a bad image in the world because of their government and nuclear program. Someone has to be a maniac to invest in Chah Bahar. Gwadar already has many investors including Oman and China.

asfar001

April 6th, 2006, 09:32 PM

yea chahbahar is no competition...gwadar will inshaAlllah be huge...imagine billins of dollars worth of chinese products going in and out of there. plus in the upcomming years oil refinerines will also be built there. other then oman and china, many more countries are investing and marking out places for their storage ware houses in gwadar...big projects like these take time ....because the benefits are infinite.

UnitedPakistan

April 6th, 2006, 09:47 PM

2008 all the refineries will be built according to dawn.

Kashmiri84

April 7th, 2006, 03:41 AM

You guys are joking right? Check out pictures of Chah Bahar on the Iran forum, the city is already well-developed and their port, which is bigger than Gwadar, is in full operation and probably has oil refineries up and running... and Iran has oil money and doesn't really need investors. Iran has a bad reputation, but Pakistan's isnt so great at the moment either (esp after the AQ Khan stuff, the al-Qaeda fighting in Waziristan, the Mukhtaran Bibi case, and skirmishes in Baluchistan). Yes the economy is doing well, but image may be more important that reality. Iran has a bad reputation, but because we're neighbors we're going to naturally feel some of the effects of that. Secondly it will take several years before appreciable amounts of Chinese goods flow through Gwadar because China's economic boom is concentrated in its coastal cities... Xinjiang is underdeveloped and the Chinese are having a hard time tempting people into investing in Xinjiang (plus if Xinjiang becomes prosperous, ethnic Han Chinese settlers will move in as they did in Tibet and forever drown out the indigenous Muslim inhabitants, something to think about)

I'm not saying this to quell any Gwadar dreams, but to succeed we have to be completely realistic and understand the challenges and competition... if we simply deny the viability of Chah Bahar, then we're only kidding ourselves, and worse, it will retard our capabilities in developing the region.

UnitedPakistan

April 7th, 2006, 03:44 AM

Pictures are nothing dude!

Do you have data on the traffic of the port? or how effective the port is?

Gwadar still is not complete and more dredging is being done to the port to allow for much larger ships to dock. You are now missing the point when you start to go into oil. Gwadar is targetting the Central Asian countries and they seem to be positive about the counstruction NOT at CHAH BAHAR BUT AT GWADAR....

*UofT*

April 18th, 2006, 01:12 PM

Gwadar is suppose to be the more viable option for the Central Asian states than is Chahbahar. I really dont know why, but for some reason Gwadar is expected to do the bulk of the trade for the land locked central asian states. Does anyone have reasons for it?

The problem with Gwadar isn't its competitors or its environment the problem with Gwadar is the Pakistani Government itself. If the same approach is taken to Gwadar as was taken to Karachi then I really dont know what to expect or hope.

UnitedPakistan

April 18th, 2006, 01:13 PM

Look through the thread!

April 19th, 2006, 03:12 AM

The Water and Power Development Authority has expedited the process of finalising arrangements to import 100 MW more electricity from Iran for Gwadar.

At present, Wapda is getting about 39 MW of electricity from Iran for different cities of Balochistan. However, in order to meet the emerging needs of Gwadar, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has directed the authority to expedite the process of a further import of 100 MW from Iran, Water and Power Ministry sources said.

Wapda sources said the decision of importing electricity from Iran was taken under an ‘Energy Security Plan’ formulated in February 2005. Besides Iran, Wapda is also preparing a feasibility report for importing electricity from Tajikistan, for which the Nespak was carrying out the feasibility report

merijanpakistan

April 19th, 2006, 05:08 AM

Salam,
Gwadar is suppose to be the more viable option for the Central Asian states than is Chahbahar. I really dont know why, but for some reason Gwadar is expected to do the bulk of the trade for the land locked central asian states. Does anyone have reasons for it?

The problem with Gwadar isn't its competitors or its environment the problem with Gwadar is the Pakistani Government itself. If the same approach is taken to Gwadar as was taken to Karachi then I really dont know what to expect or hope.

I see the Chahbahar as a major problem and competition for Gwadar. Soviet Union had great relations with Iran during Cold War. Even today, Iran sees to Russia as we look towards China. These Central Asian states have excellent relations with Iran. They have already established major road links. At present Bandar Abbas is doing some trade for C.A.Rs, but when Chahbahar is in swing, it will be a major challenge to Gwadar.

Moreover, ISI has uncovered all kinds of foreign hands in Baluchistan uprisings, some fingures pointing towards Iran, Afghanistan and EVEN Dubai!! According to Musharraf, a few terrorists had Chinese origin as well...!!!!!!!!!

So, basically, I see a rough journey and a tough competition.

Peace.

UnitedPakistan

April 19th, 2006, 05:11 AM

We should get some sort of revenge on these nations. ISI must work hard to show them that we know what they are upto.

merijanpakistan

April 19th, 2006, 06:24 AM

Salam,

I think we need:

1. Better publicity for Gwadar.
2. Assure Dubai/Iran/Afghanistan how stretegic Gwadar can be for the region, over all.

Meanwhile operation Baluchistan should be expanded to maximize the effect of "Terrorists brought to Justice" (of course keeping the first rule of engagement for us in mind).

Peace.

vc15nets

April 19th, 2006, 02:57 PM

^^^I agree with you merijanpakistan. Publicity and assuring Dubai and Afghanistan are the key. I'm sure there will alot of arab investment in Gwadar just like there has been in other Pakistani cities and that will definately help Gwadar.

fani

April 19th, 2006, 06:42 PM

i think government should practically bann any kind of guns or exlosives in gwader if u want it to really grow. not even licensed guns...what u think

April 19th, 2006, 07:11 PM

They should make Gwadar a no-arms city, with the Army and Secret Service monitoring the progress.

Because to be quite honest you cannot trust the Sardaars, it is definately better to get rid of them now, rather then when Gwadar starts developing.

UnitedPakistan

April 19th, 2006, 09:16 PM

ISI should have been used to eliminate Bugti and those that are the enemies of progress in Pakistan. The sardars in Gwadar are very friendly and they have donated tons of land to the government for FREE! Pro-Progress Pakistanis zindabad! :)

merijanpakistan

April 20th, 2006, 05:01 AM

Salam,

In my opinion, "no-arms land" is not a viable solution. I think, Basic Self Defence is a right of people in every legal system of the world, including U.S, Pakistan, and Islam. I don't think government can ensure fool-proof justice system in any given part of the world, let alone a Baluchistani City.

However, a strong defence mechanism (like the ones in our Cantonments) could work miracles for Gwadar. That, Plus a strog sense of economic uplift at grass-root level would help curb terrorism to a great degree.

Peace.

PakFan

April 20th, 2006, 01:04 PM

A question...who are the armed insurgents in Balochistan exactly exercising their right of self-defence against? The state, the central government, the army, the law of the land or their sense of being hard-done by?

fani

April 20th, 2006, 02:54 PM

the question is why sardars in balushistan need these tons of explosives.and guns?

UnitedPakistan

April 20th, 2006, 05:37 PM

They are terrorists simple as that!

They are anti development because it weakens their power.

UnitedPakistan

April 22nd, 2006, 03:55 AM

*UofT*,

Get out of this section. You have just broken multiple rules.

Intoxication

April 27th, 2006, 08:17 PM

EPZ to be set up near Gwadar Port: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that the government will set up an Export Promotion Zone (EPZ) near Gwadar on a designated area to promote industrial activity with a view to providing new employment opportunities for the people of Balochistan.

He said that the EPZ at Gwadar would be given additional incentives than are available to other Export Processing Zones in the country in order to expedite the process of industrialization in the province.

The prime minister directed the ministry of ports and shipping and the government of Balochistan to prepare within a month a special package of incentives for the EPZ at Gwadar for approval by the government.

The prime minister made these observations at a meeting to review the progress on Gwadar port. He emphasized the need to provide the investors facilities, including water, gas and electricity, in expeditious manner, as the port will become operational soon.

Babur Ghouri, Minister for Ports and Shipping, informed the prime minister that construction and dredging for deeper draft of 14.5 meters is proceeding on schedule. The meeting was also informed that the process of acquisition of additional land to build warehouses to enable the Gwadar Port to function as a trans-shipment hub for the country is also progressing satisfactorily.

The meeting was attended, among others, the secretaries for commerce, industries, ports & shipping and the chief secretary Balochistan.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\25\story_25-4-2006_pg5_9

huit

April 30th, 2006, 08:07 PM

Someone was complaining about the names of projects in Pakistan... have a look at this for change! http://www.gwadarfloridapk.com/ *puke*

vc15nets

April 30th, 2006, 09:39 PM

Haha...this low level of creativity is hilarious. Now what are they gona come up with next....Gwadar Miami Beach?! :bash: This annoys me like hell. And by the way, they have soo much damn space in Gwadar, why the hell are they going for crowded 12 marla houses? Look at the plan below and those tiny houses cover the damn plan. All they want to do is make money. For example, take Lahore. Go to Lahore DHA and see the crowdedness of the 12 marla houses then drive down the road and take a look at the 1 kanal areas. There is a hell of a difference even though they are in the same area. Marla houses are right like on the road and that just isnt right.

http://www.gwadarfloridapk.com/images/pic/Layout.jpg

UnitedPakistan

April 30th, 2006, 10:23 PM

at least something is getting built LMAO

swerveut

April 30th, 2006, 10:50 PM

ridiculous website as well! Is riddled with spelling and grammatical mistakes.

In Punjab, land measurement is usually done in canals and marlas, but I have no info about this system of measurement. Can anybody please tell me how to convert canals and marlas to sq. yards?

huit

April 30th, 2006, 11:25 PM

500 sq. yards = 1 Kanal, I think!
That makes, 25 sq. yards = 1 Marla (a Kanal has 20 marlas, usually)

Rkhan

May 1st, 2006, 10:41 AM

Sq.Yards is the standard worldwide..its funny to see pakistan having different measuring systems for every different place. i think thye use sq.yards in karachi as well.

huit

May 1st, 2006, 11:13 AM

Kanals and Marla is used ONLY in Punjab... and frankly, I feel more comfortable with it since I'm now used to it.

sher-e-lahore

May 6th, 2006, 02:37 AM

Gwadar Gymkhana

Gwadar gymkhana a perfect place for all of you to enjoy and have fun. It’s the first international recreational club one of its kind that is different and unique where you can have an active vacation for the mind, body and soul. Here pleasure and happiness comes in many forms with the choice left at your disposal. You will feel relaxed and happy through out your vacation at Gwadar gymkhana an oasis of pure pleasure, where you simply feel great!

Gwadar gymkhana a beautiful club away from the pollution and noise of the city, a perfect place for couples, singles and families, best for honey moons, your visit to this club of dreams where you have time to explore your self, discover your passion, emotions and tell your loved ones how much you care. An ideal place to enjoy to the maximum for all age groups.

Gwadar gymkhana an elegant place for all ages, It is the first five star club offering lifetime memberships to the people who know the real meaning of quality and comfort and for those who value the precious moments spend with their families. Gwadar Gymkhana is the place.

Water Sport

• Swimming pool
• Jacuzzi sauna bath
• Sailing
• Paddle boats
• Kids water swings
• Boating
• Water slides

It's the pioneer club offering motor sports and largest water sports facilities in Pakistan. It's the first international recreational club to offer quality sports facilities, luxurious rooms with 24-hour room service, fitness club, shopping centers, swimming pool, sauna bath, library, conference rooms provided with 24 hour net facility and restaurants.
At Gwadar gymkhana the aspect of providing all the recreational facilities to all the age groups has been taken care of to the minutest detail, as for our valuable members and their beloved guests we have all the indoor and outdoor sports facilities with the latest technology and trained staff.

As for kids, a separate library, story area, children play area where kids can enjoy and have fun in a secure and safe environment. The idea of having a separate recreational area for the kids is to make them feel like home, when their parents or elders are busy in relaxing, enjoying in any one of the recreational activities at the same time kids are relaxing and enjoying in their own special way.

Being a member of Gwadar gymkhana you will always have the ultimate feeling of being exactly where you always dreamed to be. After becoming a member of Gwadar gymkhana you will be entering a new world full of life, entertainment and will have passion exploring and enjoying them. Here you will enjoy exclusive access to all the extraordinary and unique services offered in the most beautiful area of Pakistan the pearl of Persian Gulf “Gwadar“.

Sport

• Tennis
• Squash
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Table tennis
• Billiards
• Card room
• Tambola
• Cricket and many more

Leisure Activities

• Open air movie theater
• TV rooms
• Pakistani Restaurants

for more info go on to the website .. http://www.gwadargymkhana.com.pk/la.html

sher-e-lahore

May 6th, 2006, 02:40 AM

PM for using Gwadar, Karachi seaports for promoting trade activities in central Asian countries
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Thursday said that Pakistan wants promotion of trade and economic relations between member states of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

While talking to reporters on Thursday before leaving for the 9th ECO Summit in Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that Pakistan wants restructuring of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

The PM said that Pakistan is hopeful that trade relations between member state countries of ECO will further blossom.

He said that we could work jointly in the energy fields.

He was of the view that seaports of Karachi and Gawadar must be used in exchange of trade between the central Asian countries.

He further said that he would discuss host of issues in the ECO Summit that includes diplomatic relations between the two countries, Kashmir problem and other matters in length.

He added that all efforts will be made to make ECO more efficient and proficient underlining Pakistan would play an imperative role in this regard.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani is accompanying the Prime Minister while Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri is already in Baku.

sher-e-lahore

May 6th, 2006, 02:44 AM

Recent Projects for Gwadar

Project Name

Finance Trade and Business Avenue Creek City

New World City Golden Palms

Marjan Beach Resort Muscat Center

GDA Housing Scheme No. 5 Subzimandi

Makkah City Gwadar Royal Garden

Green Palms Platinum City

Globiz Avenue (Old West Bay) Globiz Avenue Phase-II

Gwadar Creek Avenue White Pealr City

Jinnah City Zer Industrial

Hermain City GDA Industrial Scheme No. 3 (PVT)

Model Town Gwadar Madina City

Breeze Way Industrial and Cargo Village

Kohinoor Savannah [New]

For further details Like
(Type of Scheme, Total Area, Appl. Date, Owner Name, Cont. No., NOC No. & Date and Status) about above projects you can contact Gwadar News at Info@gwadarnews.com.

Water supply
Water supply is being improved, seven jetties are being constructed and local fishermen are being given motor engine run boats.

Electric Power Supply
A number of electric power generation projects are also being carried out in Gawadar and in its surroundings. The Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), a subsidiary of the WAPDA, has geared up the work for building the power transmission line. It is expected to be completed. A power station of 132 KV is under construction.

Air Port
Gawadar has a small airport, which is basically meant for fokker aircraft. The need is growing for the expansion of this airport and enlargement of its runway to facilitate the landing of wide body aeroplanes. CAA has been directed to upgrade the Gawadar Airport for the landing of Airbuses by the end of 2004. Gawadar port will be open air and after its inauguration the jet planes shall be landing at the Gawadar airport. A sum of 2.3 million dollars is being utilized from Omani grant. The Pakistan government and the Civil Aviation Authority are also contributing additional Rs. 563.35 million for this purpose. The new international Air Port of Gawadar has been planned in the north east of the final master plan of Gawadar.

Dry Port
China wants to set up a dry port near the Pakistan-China border, so that western China could also benefit from the Gawadar seaport and it will create a ribbon of economic activity and hundreds of new jobs along the proposed highway linking Gawadar with the Karakoram highway in the north.

Rice Zone
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP)-apex body of the rice exporters in the country- has decided to establish a rice zone in Gawadar to fetch the opportunities in the area after the construction of new port. The establishment of warehouses will provide extraordinary facilities to rice exporters especially for those who export rice to Iran as the Iranian border is only at a distance of three hours from Gawadar.

Saindak Copper Gold
The Saindak Copper Gold project is in progress by producing 12500 tons 'raw copper' daily. MRDL, a Chinese company, is doing the whole work. To ensure successful implementation of the mega project modern machinery, including crushers, smelters and other plants have been installed in addition to a 50 MW powerhouse. 33 km railway line from Taftan to Saindak has also been laid. The Chinese company MRDL has so far invested $25 million (Rs 1.5 billion) on the project.

Trans Afghan Gas Pipe Line
The 1400km-long Trans-Afghan Gas Pipeline (TAP) from Turkmenistan to Gawadar (Pakistan), the long dormant project that hopes to pump Turkmen natural gas to markets in South Asia, is finally poised to step off the drawing board costing $3 billion.

Makran Coastal Highway
The 715 km Makran Coastal Highway linking Gwadar with Karachi on a 675-mile stretch is going to be lifeline of the Gawadar project. It will be completed in four phases. President Musharraf has already performed the groundbreaking ceremony of second phase under which the Frontier Works Organization is constructing Gawadar Pasni patch. Completion of this highway will open up the area exposing all business opportunities in Gawadar and on Makran coast to the international investors. It is certainly going to attract new townships and settlements of international investors, tourists, and workforce coming from distant lands. The Makran coastal highway will also link Karachi with Iran and, thus, open a new and shorter trade route between the two countries. Gaining access to the more lucrative but landlocked central Asian markets via Iran and Afghanistan is also on the cards.

Linking Cars
The Asian Development Bank has also announced financing for road projects, linking Pakistans Balochistan and Frontier provinces with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs), having a total cost of $500 million
Mirani Dam And Canals

Mirani dam construction is another major endeavor being made to develop water resources in the province. The WAPDA is working on the Mirani Dam Project. Its estimated cost is Rs 7.5 billion. More than Rs15 billion would be spent on this project for which the federal government has provided Rs2 billion in the fiscal year 2002-03. It is expected to irrigate 32,000 acres highly fertile and of Dasht Plains in the downstream while more than 20,000 acres in the upstream through recharge of hundreds of dead and old Kans (deep wells linked up from the bottom ensuring a greater flow of water for domestic use and farming).

sher-e-lahore

May 6th, 2006, 02:45 AM

Govt planning to impart technical training to 300,000 youth
Umer Ayub

An ambitious plan was being finalised to impart technical training on 300,000 more youth in a bid to provide industries with skilled manpower, Minister of State for Finance Umer Ayub Khan has said.

A national training authority has already been set up for enhancing capacity of talented youth. The thrust was also being laid to provide training to workers so as they prove helpful for increasing the productivity of an organisation, he said while talking to PTV.

Competitive Support Programme has also been established for enabling people to enhance their capabilities.

In May next leading experts of productivity and competitiveness have been invited from across the world for sharing their experiences with Pakistani stake holders, he added.

Country's economy was expanding persistently. The capacity of cement sector has enhanced to 24 million tonnes from mere 16 million tonnes in 1999. Within a couple of years it would be more than 36 million tonnes, he said.

China Development Bank having assets of more than $ 200 billion was coming and concentrating on Pakistan. Gwadar port would be connected to China to promote trade and economy.

swerveut

May 8th, 2006, 07:15 AM

Rs75 billion rail link planned for Gwadar

KARACHI, May 7: The government has approved a Rs75 billion plan to connect Gwadar port by rail to streamline cargo movement, says federal Minister for Railways Shaikh Rashid.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Shaikh Rashid said the government would invite private sector to participate in the mega project.

Referring to the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway, he said that the system would be revived and the government also wanted to run circular trains in eight other major cities.

TRAIN FARES: The minister said that there was a possibility of a reasonable increase in train fares in the wake of increases in diesel prices but it would be done in a way to ensure poor people were not affected, adding that it would also not affect people travelling on routes ranging between 50 and 100 miles.

Shaikh Rashid said: “We are examining (ways) to increase train fares in such a way that the burden is shifted to people travelling in air-conditioned and upper class compartments.”

He said the railways would be transformed into ‘Awami train’. He said he had started touring all seven divisions of railways to get first-hand information about areas needing immediate improvement

KHOKHRAPAR SERVICE: The minister announced the launching of a daily train service between Khokhrapar and Mirpurkhas to provide an additional facility to people of rural areas in Sindh.

“Pakistan Railways will be revolutionised at a rapid pace through optimum utilisation of available resources and creation of new ones by adopting a practical approach,” he said.

Shaikh Rashid said that the schedule of Sukkur Express had been revised according to people’s demands.

Referring to additional resource generation, he said that private companies would be allowed to run four new trains, adding that they would pay ‘track access charges’.

About railway commuters’ security, he said that a fibre optic line would be laid for a number of purposes, including installation of surveillance cameras, adding that it would provide additional protection to national assets.

Shaikh Rashid said railway signals would be upgraded while orders had been issued for computerising the domestic ticketing system.

He also said that the frequency of freight trains would be increased from eight to 10 in Karachi.

He said that talks were being held with all chambers of commerce on ways on maximising the use of freight trains.

“We are adopting a pragmatic approach to take the railways out of the red and to provide maximum facilities to passengers,” he said.

LOSS CONTROL: Effort would be made to overcome the huge losses incurred by the Pakistan Railways within a year, the minister said.

“The deficit is fairly huge and we can overcome this through cargo trains. (But) there is an acute shortage of freight wagons and locomotives,” he said.

Shaikh Rashid said that a study in this respect is being carried out. — APP

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/08/top3.htm

UnitedPakistan

May 8th, 2006, 11:38 PM

Tough conditions for running Gwadar Port

By Syed Fazl-e-Haider

THE terms of reference (TOR) prepared by the Dubai Port World (DPW) for an deal for running the Gwadar port has been criticized by ports and shipping experts.

These include major conditions that deal with the corporate structure and matters related to operation, tariffs, and financial powers as well as development of infrastructure, including nine new jetties (berths) on the east bay of the port.

Plans have been finalised for the second phase of the port to be built by the private sector- nine more berths, an approach channel and storage terminals, is to be finance by China. It will have three container terminals with a quay length of two km—a cargo, a grain and an oil terminal.

The Dubai operator bid for the $865 million phase-II of the port. Other companies in the run include, Hutchison Port Holdings(HPH) (Hong Kong) and PSA International (Singapore), which are considered as the rivals of the DPW. The HPH already operates the two-berth Karachi international container terminal.

The DPW was among companies that had expressed interest in operating the first phase of the port, which was completed with a Chinese loan in April last year. The total cost of the Gwadar project is estimated at $1.6 billion, of which China has contributed about $198 million for the first phase. Pakistan has contributed almost four times for this phase. China invested another $200 million to build a highway connecting the port with Karachi.

The negotiations were approved with DPW as a potential operator in February last and the prime minister constituted a team from the ministries of finance, law, planning and development division and the ministry of ports and shipping to negotiate the terms.

The TOR contains, according to the experts, such one-sided conditions that may force one to rethink about the negotiations. Following are the key conditions laid down in the TOR prepared by the Dubai operator: - With regard to development of new berths, the operator seeks first-right of refusal. Under this demand, a prior approval would be sought from the DPW in case the Pakistan leases or develops new jetties.

The DPW has sought 30 years lease for the site and the port, which could be renewable for two more terms of 10 years for which the option will lie with the operator.

The company seeks full control over development, finance, design, building, management and operations of those nine jetties (berths) which are yet to be built under phase II and have the right to cap the capacity utilization.

It also seeks the right of levying and collection of port tariffs related to “dry” and “wet’ tariffs.

It has demanded that tariffs would not be higher than Karachi Port and the Port Qasim.

The DPW has is not willing to hire or absorb the existing labour force working at the port.

The Dubai operator has sought full powers over shareholding of the port company to be held by them or any other strategic investor chosen by them. It has further laid down a condition where management control will be fully with DPW and the government will have no control over the management and policies of the port.

Experts are of the opinion that the conditions, if accepted, would completely strip off the government of all its rights related to revenue, tariffs, development, expansion and operation matters of the port. The TOR has put all future liabilities and investment costs on the shoulders of the government which includes development of infrastructure inside and outside the port areas and it wants a firm commitment on these terms from the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), Gwadar Port Implementation Authority (GPIA) as well as federal government.

The government is preparing its TOR and has decided to make Gwadar port functional by June this year and may continue to negotiate with the DPW for reaching an agreement. The additional dredging of Gwadar port channel to 14.5 meters would be completed by June that will make it the deepest port of the country and the trans-shipment port for the region and will also enable it to receive mother vessels.

The cargo dropped by such vessels would be taken to Karachi and other regional ports by feeder vessels or trucks. The government had given additional $50 million to the ministry of communications to complete the much needed first phase of the port at an upwardly revised cost of $298 million.

If the port has to take its right place among the regional hub ports and to achieve proper benefits matching its strategic advantages, some experienced, credible and competent operators need to be appointed.

Why DPW is a favourite contender for the Gwadar port?

Firstly, the government has already proposed to operate Gwadar as a free port along the lines of Jebel Ali terminal of Dubai. Of course, the handling over operations to an international operator will help to develop Gwadar as a regional hub. Despite the recent US opposition to its take over of the management of six American ports, DP World still remains the third largest port operator in the world.

DPW was established following the merger between the Dubai Ports Authority (DPA) and Dubai Ports International (DPI) Terminals. DPW has been in a process to identify and secure competitive tenders for port operations that compliment its network and apply its skills and techniques to every aspect of the business. In India too, the DPW operates two container terminals – Kochi and Visakhapatnam.

Second, the unique ‘integrated port management’ model is the hallmark of DPW. The model brings together container terminals, other cargoes, free zones, infrastructure developments and consultancy services.

Third, DPW’s cross-sector expertise offers solutions in all aspects of port operations. Fourth, DPW has successfully applied the management systems, developed at Port Rashid and Jebel Ali, to its global network of terminal operations. This enables its customers, to experience the same high level of service they have come to expect when their vessels call at Dubai.

Finally, the DPW’s ability to deliver a better level of service to shipping lines is reflected in the company’s performance, achieving double-digit growth annually since the company started operations in 2000. DPW, it has achieved 26.5 per cent growth in 2004 across its network.

Gwadar is strategically located deep-sea port with which Pakistan’s economic future is associated and there is a need to consider all pros and cons of the deal with the DPW before finalizing the agreement.

A Chinese company has also expressed its willingness to operate the port. Some experts say that key functions of Gwadar port should have been given to Chinese company. The fastest growing economy of China would desperately need port facilities that would ideally be located outside the sensitive strait of Hormuz but close to the Arabian Gulf. Gwadar is certainly that ideal port for Chinese. Even if the Chinese companies and exporters handle their own cargo it would make Gwadar port as the busiest and most active port of the region.

Rkhan

May 11th, 2006, 09:27 AM

For some reason DWP's doesnt seem to have the right interests. It feels kinda weird. I personally think Gwadar should be handed over to a chinese firm. Not to do anything with DWP but becuz china has great interest in this project and this will only help pakistan even more.

merijanpakistan

May 12th, 2006, 05:00 AM

Salam,

Very True. I kind'a doubt DPW's intensions as well. We recently had an ISI report published, which pointed out Dubai as one of the countries (Emarates) trying to destabalize Baluchistan in fear of Gwadar's development.

In light of this, I feel skeptical if DPW would be a good choice. Chinese would be an excellent choice. Hopefully, they will do their major International trade of Xinjiang through Gwadar.

Peace.

Gumnaam

May 13th, 2006, 08:36 AM

hhmmm...initially I was in favour of DPW operating the Gwadar port, now I very much doubt their intentions.. :sly:

A much better choice is Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) - Hong Kong or any other Chinese firm.

@ UP, can you provide us the link to that article?

UnitedPakistan

May 13th, 2006, 04:05 PM

No link someone else posted it without a link...But for copyright purposes according to MLA we are fine as long as the credit is given to the author.

swerveut

May 14th, 2006, 12:25 AM

Hutchinson Port Holdings are an excellent firm and are already operating the container terminal at the Karachi Port with exemplary standards. There is no doubt in my mind that we should employ them instead of DPW for operating Gwadar. That would be the only wise choice.

We need to face facts. Gwadar is a competitor to Dubai. Any sane minded buisnessman who has stakes in Dubai is going to consider that first before the thought of the "muslim ummah" or "muslim bhai" comes into his mind. Unlike some very naive folks of our own.

sher-e-lahore

May 14th, 2006, 02:51 AM

HBFC
Joins Hands with
Gwadar Development Authority and
City District Nazim Gwadar

HBFC pioneers the first housing project of its kind in the heart of Gwadar in collabration with City District Nazim Gwadar and Gwadar Development Authority. The housing project is meant exclusively for the people of Gwadar and residents of Makran Coast as well as the people from these areas working in the Gulf States.

Consisting of about 1000 low & medium cost houses, equipped with all civic amenities, it is a residential scheme for the people of Gwadar only and is not for investors from other parts of the country. Corporations and business organizations having their offices in Gwadar may also apply for accomodation of their staff in Gwadar. HBFC loan will be provided as per its policy.

Interested individuals / corporates, meeting the laid down criteria may apply, with a refundable Demand Draft of Rs. 1000, in favor of HBFC. The application form may be obtained from the HBFC Gwadar Office, and can also be downloaded from website: www.hbfc.com.pk

Project Features

Adjacent to Mir Gohrab Housing Scheme, near Surbandar.

Project development, town planning and construction through renowned architects, town planners, builders & developers.

Project completion within 30 months of completion of development work.

Equipped with underground electricity, Mosque, Community Centre, Medical Centre, School, College etc.

Electric Sub Station, Gas Lines, Water Lines, Sewerage.

Water Supply through desalination plant.

cntower

May 14th, 2006, 12:50 PM

Hutchinson or Dubai Ports...good poll question...don't know which would be better...as mentioned from before Hutchinson already controls Karachi Port...maybe Dubai could get Gwadar...

asfar

May 14th, 2006, 10:06 PM

hutchinson is a better option...DPW would be a horrible mistake

UnitedPakistan

May 15th, 2006, 12:11 AM

Chabahar best route for transit of goods to Afghanistan
Chabahar, Hormuzgan prov, Nov 24, IRNA

Mahmoud Karzai, brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai who is currently visiting Iran said on Thursday that Chabahar Free Trade Zone is considered as the best possible route for transfer of goods to Afghanistan.

Karzai who is an Afghan businessman and founder of Afghanistan's International Chamber of Commerce made the remarks during his unofficial visit to the country.

In an exclusive interview with IRNA, he said the aim of his visit was to identify existing capabilities of the Iranian FTZ in commercial field and transit of goods.

"We hope the evaluation of the region's potentials would lead to romotion of trade ties between the two countries," he said.

Describing his visit to Iran as very positive, he said the capabilities and potentials of Chabahar could be effective in raising the volume of trade exchange between Iran and Afghanistan.

The two countries should establish a joint trade center to promote bilateral commercial relations between the two parties, he said.

Since Afghanistan is a land-locked country with no access to free waters, Chabahar FTZ is considered as the best option for transit of goods to and from that country, he said.

During his one-day visit to the region, he inspected various sectors of Chabahar Free Trade and Industrial Zone.

http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/lin...47462195252.htm
It is time to assasinate Karzai and their foreign minister. :bash:

They will go to all lengths just to attack Pakistan. Ohh well what could we have traded with Afghanistan anyway. :cheers:

asfar

May 15th, 2006, 02:50 AM

lol chill out....afghainstan going to chahbahar what a biggg losss lol....even of gwadar got business from afghanistan how much could it have been peanuts....remember we will get china and CAR's which matters...and they are what we have talked about all the way...

UnitedPakistan

May 15th, 2006, 03:05 AM

Yeah, but the CAR's must go through Afghanistan otherwise they will have to travel to China and then into Pakistan.

singaporean

May 22nd, 2006, 07:07 AM

it's yesterday's news, so can't post read it here

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=8534243#post8534243

pakboy

May 23rd, 2006, 09:11 PM

Golden Palms Residential Estate - Gwadar

http://www.meinhardt.com.au/media/userimages/imageB3350813049.jpg

Golden Palms Residential Estate is one of the most prominent projects recently launched in Gwadar – the new port city of Pakistan. It is situated at the Western end of the city overlooking the Gwadar West Bay. This prestigious residential development, spanning 1000 acres along the pristine waters of the Gwadar beach, promises an exclusive lifestyle with its breathtaking vistas and wealth of quality amenities i.e. hotel, shopping plaza, community centers, sports facilities, urban parks and piazzas and ancillary facilities including a water desalination plant.
Meinhardt are the Principal Consultants - providing master planning, architecture, infrastructure engineering, and project / construction management services. Infrastructure planning and design include earthworks, roads, bridges, culverts, under/over-passes, water supply, sewerage, drainage, electrical and telecommunication networks.

The development works of the project would be completed in phases. Anticipated completion for Phase I is 2008. Construction is in progress.

UnitedPakistan

May 23rd, 2006, 09:33 PM

The fools should put the taller buildings towards the ocean and the smaller housing near the back of the city or the far left or right.

pakboy

May 23rd, 2006, 10:12 PM

the smaller units are commercial and resorts so they belong near the beach, but i think they should have the apartments behind those

pakboy

May 24th, 2006, 01:52 AM

Pakistan, China considering oil pipeline from Gwadar

* Aziz says oil refinery at Gwadar, pipeline to Western China, would quicken oil import for Beijing
* Says nuclear energy technology cooperation expanding

By Irfan Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China are considering a feasibility study for an oil pipeline from Gwadar port to Western China to transport China’s oil imports from the Gulf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Tuesday.

The Gwadar and Karachi ports offer the shortest access to the Arabian Sea for Western China, as well as Central Asia, Aziz said at a seminar on 55 years of Pakistan-China relations, organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies.

An oil pipeline from Gwadar to Western China would greatly reduce the time and distance for oil transport from the Gulf to China, he said. A major oil refinery at Gwadar would further facilitate China’s oil imports.

Pakistan is now in a position to exploit its strategic location at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia to promote “corridors of cooperation” including oil and gas pipelines, electricity grids, and transit trade, the prime minister said. He said the Karakorum Highway would soon be upgraded so it could remain open all year round.

The prime minister said the two countries were also expanding cooperation in nuclear energy and space technology. “A significant area of cooperation between Pakistan and China has been the harnessing of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes under international safeguards - for the production of electricity,” Aziz said. “The two countries are working towards further expanding cooperation in this area.”

Pakistan and China have always pursued their friendship for mutual benefit and never at the cost of any other country, Aziz said. “We have not sought hegemony nor shall we accept hegemony from any quarter. Our relationship is designed to promote security and cooperation with out neighbours as well as with our global partners,” he said.

“Our relations are not designed to be used against any third country. We do not subscribe to concepts such as balance of power, pre-emption and unilateralism. We believe in strengthening the United Nations system to address and resolve all regional and global issues,” he said.

Aziz said both countries seek a level playing field without trade barriers and tariff walls and Pakistan would welcome greater Chinese investment in its economy, particularly in infrastructure, telecommunication, energy, IT, construction, mining and textiles.

Answering questions, the prime minister said the biggest challenge facing the Sino-Pak relationship was to create new areas of cooperation and sustain their friendly relations.

He said Central and South Asian cooperation was imperative for the economic growth of the two regions. Stability in Afghanistan was vital to enhancing ties between the two regions vital. Pakistan is already negotiating with some Central Asian countries to create links for electricity import, he said.

Home |

pakboy

May 26th, 2006, 03:32 AM

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1148566353.gif

UnitedPakistan

May 26th, 2006, 03:32 AM

Finally! Thanks for the update!

merijanpakistan

May 26th, 2006, 04:50 AM

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Salam,

I didn't think the above mentioned news (Hawxbay one) is in Gwadar! I think its in Karachi....! (Unless, they have named a beach in Gwadar Hawxbay too?)

Pakistan, China considering oil pipeline from Gwadar

Regarding Pakistan-China oil-pipeline, i think that is unbelieveably fantastic...!!!! We can't even imagine the kind of project this would turn out to be..!! WE WILL HAVE TO construct a pipeline through some of world's highest passes and altitudes.... from Karakorum range.

Moreover, there is a talk of a railway link with China through these very high altitude passes. It would be A WONDER OF THE WORLD to see a pipeline, a railway track and an all-weather road linking Pakistan to China..!!!!

That is a DREAM COME TRUE situation for Pakistan, as a country. I doubt Americans would like it, but that would be very exciting project. I can imagine an oil pipeline from Iran-to-Gwadar-to-Multan-to-Islamabad-to-Gilgit-to-Khunjrab_Pass-to-Kashgar(Kashi)!!!

Peace.

UnitedPakistan

May 26th, 2006, 05:06 AM

The pipeline can be built alongside the KKH...

singaporean

May 28th, 2006, 08:39 AM

RAWALPINDI, May 27: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Saturday called for adherence to top international standards in realisation of facilities at the Gwadar port.

Speaking at a meeting that reviewed progress on the project, he underlined that timely completion of the port on modern lines would greatly benefit local population and the national economy.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also attended the meeting.

“We must put in place high quality of shipping services and connect the port to the upper parts of the country with an elaborate network of road and railway infrastructure. At the same time we should ensure better allied infrastructure in the form of information technology, housing, hotel and business facilities at the port,” said the president.

He said that countries in the region looked to Pakistan to serve as a trade and energy corridor between Central Asia and South Asia, the Gulf and western parts of China.

He outlined the impact of large-scale economic activity the Gwadar port was to witness and directed the ministry of ports to give maximum jobs to local people.

Gen Musharraf emphasised that local people should be trained to acquire skills necessary for running the port. He hoped that the project would help reduce poverty and open up new avenues of growth for the people of Balochistan.

In his remarks, the prime minister said that the government would encourage the private sector to start business activity at Gwadar and added that a number of incentives were being offered to investors.

He said a modern airport was being built at Gwadar which would attract foreign and local entrepreneurs to make use of investment opportunities in the region.

Shipping and Ports Minister Babar Khan Ghauri informed the meeting that work on realisation of state-of-the-art facilities at the Gwadar port was being carried out on a fast-track basis.

He said several foreign and local investors had shown interest in business opportunities and in development of allied communication infrastructure.—APP
http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/28/top4.htm

pakboy

June 3rd, 2006, 10:58 PM

if anyone goes to gwadar make sure you take a picture of the back of pc, its a beauty.

pakboy

June 4th, 2006, 04:37 AM

GOOD NEWS.

i have spoken to a few businessmen and employes from big companies in china and they tell me gwadar has got a very clean image there and they are looking forward to export from there. :)

singaporean

June 4th, 2006, 07:06 AM

DUBAI — DP World, a subsidiary of Dubai World, is likely to win the bid to take over the management of Pakistan's Gwadar Port, following the exit of Hutchison Port Holdings of Hong Kong from the race.

Following the unveiling of Dubai World's $10 billion investment plan, officials from both sides are reported to have made good progress in finalising the agreement to give DP World operational management of the deep-sea port built with Chinese assistance.

Commodore Munir Wahid, project director of the Gwadar Port Implementation Authority however declined to say how much DP World might pay for the deal which is expected to reinforce the Dubai-based company's position as the world's third-largest container port operator,

Apart from Hutchison Port Holdings, other bidders for the project include PSA International of Singapore, Globe Marine Services of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan International Container Terminal.

The Dubai operator has also bid for the port's $865 million phase-II that will add nine more berths, an approach channel and storage terminals. It will have three container terminals with a quay length of two km.

DP World was among five companies that had expressed interest in operating the first phase of the port, which was completed with a Chinese loan in April last year.

The total cost of the Gwadar project is estimated at $1.6 billion, of which, China has contributed about $198 million for the first phase. Pakistan has contributed $50 million to finance the first phase. China invested another $200 million to build a highway connecting the port with Karachi.

According to sources close to the deal, terms of reference prepared by DP World include major conditions that deal with the corporate structure and matters related to operation, tariffs, and financial powers as well as development of infrastructure, including nine new berths on the east bay of the port. With regard to development of new berths, the operator seeks first-right of refusal. Under this demand, a prior approval would be sought from the DP World in case Pakistan leases or develops new jetties. DP World has sought 30 years lease for the site and the port which could be renewable for two more terms of 10 years for which the option will lie with the operator.

Pakistani sources said DP World has sought full powers over shareholding of the port company to be held by them or any other strategic investor chosen by them.

It has further laid down a condition where management control will be fully with DP World and the government will have no control over the management and policies of the port.

It is learnt that DP World is seeking full control over development, finance, design, building, management and operations of those nine jetties to be built under phase II and have the right to cap the capacity utilisation.

It also seeks the right of levying and collection of port tariffs and demanded that tariffs would not be higher than Karachi Port and the Port Qasim.

Pakistan sources said DP World is a favourite contender for the Gwadar port because its integrated port management model brings together container terminals, other cargoes, free zones, infrastructure developments and consultancy services.

According to shipping industry experts, the Gwadar Port could be used as corridor for energy supply to China. It will serve as an energy corridor for Pakistan, China and India.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2006/June/business_June51.xml&section=business

huit

June 4th, 2006, 10:26 AM

^ DP-World will manage the port. Have a look at today's news: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\04\story_4-6-2006_pg1_6

imran02feb79

June 4th, 2006, 04:58 PM

Why DP World is so much intrested in our ports .... what do u guys think...?

huit

June 4th, 2006, 06:54 PM

ArchiPak

June 4th, 2006, 07:07 PM

Why DP World is so much intrested in our ports .... what do u guys think...?

Foreign investment is really important for Pakistan. But I think they should handover the management of Gwadar for a period of time and the local people should get work there.

Gumnaam

June 4th, 2006, 11:20 PM

Why shouldn't it be interested? Why did Etisalat agree to pay $2.6b for PTCL when it's not even worth that much? Why is Dubai (and UAE) turning out to be the biggest foreign investor in Pakistan? Why do we have to be skeptical about everything?
How can the Shaikhs of Dubai let Gwadar take over its position as the leading port in this region?!?! <<< difficult to digest for me but let's hope it will work fine for both parties...HPH of Hong Kong was a much better option though..

PTCL is technically very sound (even more than most of National Telecoms of many other countries) and it's worth it, what we lack is management.

I remember the case of a Sugar Mill that was going very well, suddenly it was a dead unit within 7 months after a retired Colonel took charge of it...instead of having deserving people on managerial posts, we have either retired Military personnel or friends and relatives of political leaders on these posts <<< that's why there is so much corruption and mis-management in these organizations...only solution to this problem is privatization but slow pace of privatization often irritates me and there are still many BIG organizations with Corruption and Mis-Mangement that need to be privatized, government should focus on 3 things >>> Legislation, Tax Collection and Welfare of its citizens..

Sorry for being a lil' bit off-topic. :)

June 4th, 2006, 11:43 PM

^ Every businessman thinks about his business and his investments. If DP World wants to take over the management control of Gwadar Port, that is only because of the fact that they will benefit from it, not because they want to do so because Gwadar would be in direct competition with Dubai.

When DP World took over control of the other ports of the world, that didnt mean that they were doing to downgrade the other ports and improve Dubai port's image.

pakboy

June 4th, 2006, 11:47 PM

well i dnt think gwadar is a competition for dubai.

any ships which want to import/export goods of west china, CAS, afganiostan and pakistan will head to gwadar, while ships which want to export/import goods of dubai and the gulf will head towards the gulf, they both will cater to a different areas,

UnitedPakistan

June 5th, 2006, 03:46 AM

I say screw that!

I feel sick from the handling of this situation. The simple answer to DP world was to deny them the rights to manage the port because we do not believe it would be in our intrests. What would have been better was if we got a private PAKISTANI company to handle the port. I hope someone takes violent measures against DP world so they pull out. Time someone from parliament made a goddamn fuss about something that is in the intrests of Pakistan.

merijanpakistan

June 5th, 2006, 05:57 AM

Salam,

China's public sector company(ies) would have been the best and most logical move by the Govt of Pakistan. This would have put Gwadar on the face of the earth as China's backdoor, as well as C.A's front door. This would also have meant oil and gas through Pakistan to Zingkiang, as well as C.A's energy resources to Gwadar. Win-Win for every body, except for the United States.

I hope the Shipping Ministry reconsiders D.P.W's offer and reject it, based on Pakistan's long-term stretegic interests.

Peace.

NewYork-wala

June 5th, 2006, 06:57 AM

Lately they are saying that the port is lacking in modern equipment of even the most basic kind, and will therefore not live up to expectations.. Anyone hear about this besides me?

alirox

June 5th, 2006, 09:37 AM

nope nver heard of somehting like that

June 5th, 2006, 09:53 AM

^ Yeah I read that in the newspaper a few days back, its quite shocking that a project of such magnitude has been developed without basic modern features.

UnitedPakistan

June 5th, 2006, 01:27 PM

Such reports are clearly bullshit...

Do you think China would allow such incomptence?

Scribbller

June 5th, 2006, 03:13 PM

Lately they are saying that the port is lacking in modern equipment of even the most basic kind, and will therefore not live up to expectations.. Anyone hear about this besides me?
I also read the same thing in Dawn a few days back.

imran02feb79

June 5th, 2006, 03:24 PM

CityofVillains

June 5th, 2006, 06:32 PM

Foreign investment is really important for Pakistan. But I think they should handover the management of Gwadar for a period of time and the local people should get work there.

You don't just handover management of a port for "time being". Everytime a company, local or foreign, takes control of a port, they sign something called a "contract", "lease agreement", and everything that protects the company's immediate investment and interest in the port. These agreements do not run for "time being", they run into decades (20 - 30 years).

pakboy

June 6th, 2006, 10:46 PM

looks like the KKH is being upgraded to connect gwadar to china

http://static.flickr.com/20/73193078_dbeb90464a.jpg?v=0

UnitedPakistan

June 7th, 2006, 12:13 AM

I believe thats the road from abbotabad to Balakot? or Naran??

Gamma Dilation

June 7th, 2006, 01:41 AM

if its naran or balakot i'd be surprised + happy because those roads were deteriorating.

UnitedPakistan

June 7th, 2006, 01:53 AM

^

No, they are actually paved well they just developed cracks due to the earthquake...

singaporean

June 9th, 2006, 08:35 AM

KARACHI: Private airline Airblue has joined hands with Jahangir Siddiqui (JS) Air to start a commuter service between Karachi and Gwadar from June 17.

Chief Operating Officer of Airblue Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and JS Air Chairman Commodore (retired) Munawwar Alam Siddiqui announced this at a press conference Thursday. Abbasi said that they are cooperating for low-cost operation on socio-economic routes such as Gwadar, Nawabshah and Sukkur.

"JS Air will operate their planes for Airblue on secondary routes. The ticketing will be done by Airblue," he said. The fare for Gwadar will be Rs 3,000 for one side with a chance of concession if purchased in advance.

He said that initially two American 19-seater aeroplanes Beach 1900 would be used for a daily flight between Karachi and Gwadar. "This frequency will be increased after we acquire more aircraft by August. We can take this flight to Muscat later on," he added. He said that they could also operate flights for the northern areas.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\09\story_9-6-2006_pg12_7

pakboy

June 9th, 2006, 04:16 PM

Beijing contemplating building a 21 million tonne refinery atGwadar

Moving beyond cooperation in the military and
political arena, China and Pakistan are set to expand
ties in energy sector with Beijing contemplating
building a 21 million tonne refinery at Gwadar port.

Intelligence input suggests that Beijing is
considering development of the Gwadar Port Energy Zone
in the south-west Pakistani province of Baluchistan
and feasibility of constructing an oil refinery of 21
million tonnes capacity.

Also on the cards is China undertaking oil and gas
exploration projects in Pakistan, besides examining
the economic viability of the energy corridor,
industry sources said.

These plans are likely to be finalised during Pakistan
President Pervez Musharraf's upcoming visit (june
13-17) to China to attend the fifth Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit talks in
Shanghai.

Sources said Gwadar Port in Baluchistan would enable
China diversify its crude oil import routes and extend
its presence in the Indian Ocean. Hence, Beijing's
contribution -- technical assistance, 450 workers and
80 per cent of the funds for the construction of the
port.

China, they said, would also review initial plans to
shift excess capacity in the petroleum industry to
Dubai because of the new option of Gwadar becoming
available. The Gwadar Port Energy Zone's potential to
attract an estimated foreign investment of 12-13
billion USD is an incentive.

The China-Pak Energy Trade Cooperation Promotion
Association under China's Ministry of Civil Affairs
and China-Pak Joint Investment Company to finance
these projects was being considered.

Eventually, the Gwadar port would be accessible for
Chinese imports and exports through overland links
that would stretch to and from Karakoram Highway in
Pakistan's Northern Areas that border China's
Muslim-majority Autonomous Region of Xinjiang.

Sources said Gwadar port would provide a stable and
proximate point of access to the Gulf ports. Just 250
miles from the Straits of Hormuz, through which nearly
40 per cent of the world's oil supplies flow, the port
is strategically located to serve as a key shipping
point in the region.

The port would also provide the landlocked Central
Asian republics, Afghanistan, and the Chinese Xinjian
region with access to the Arabian Sea.

A road from Gwadar to Saindak, which is currently
under construction and runs parallel to the
Iran-Pakistan border, will be the shortest route
between Central Asia and the Arabian Sea.

farhan

June 9th, 2006, 07:34 PM

Govt in a fix over price of land for new airport in Gwadar

By Fida Hussain

ISLAMABAD: The ministry of defence is facing several objections on the overall price of land to be acquired for a new international airport in Gwadar as the proposed price is more than 180 percent higher than the amount paid by the Pakistan Railways (PR) for land acquisition in the same area in the recent past, a senior government official told the Daily Times on Thursday.

The ministry of defence has proposed that price of land should stand at over Rs 155,000 per acre for the new airport in Gwadar. The proposed cost is more than 180 percent over the land acquisition cost of Rs 55,000 per acre paid in the recent past by the PR.

The Gwadar airport has been proposed to be built in an area of 6,600 acres about 26 kilometers in the northeast of Gwadar city. The governement anticipates Gwadar to become a regional economic hub and in preparation for this has issued a directive for the development of the new Gwadar international airport. The airport will be given international status and it is expected to operate under the open skies policy. In the meantime, there are plans to improve facilities at the existing airport to facilitate the movement of wide-bodied aircraft, the official said.

The ministry of finance, the Planning and Development Division (P&D) and other authorities concerned have raised objections over the increased cost proposed for land, which is to be acquired for the new international airport. The authorities concerned have objected to the proposed price of land and said that this issue must be looked into separately from the overall project, which has been approved by the P&D in principle. The ministry of defence defended the proposed price and said that it had been calculated by the Military Land Cantonments Department and it is according to land value, which is in practice in the area. The nature of the project was such that the P&D had granted approval to the overall project, but the cost of the scheme could be revised after the report of the special committee, constituted by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

The committee, which includes officials from the ministry of finance, ministry of defence and government of Balochistan, will present its report on the issue to the P&D before the next meeting of the CDWP, which is to meet some time this month.

The official said that the ministry of finance and the P&D have agreed on almost all the criteria of the project implementation. However, the ministries are only looking into the land price issue separately due to recent land acquisition by the PR in the same locality. The land acquired by the PR is part of the government's overall strategy to connect Gwadar with the rest of the country and the world through rail, land and air routes as Pakistan sees the underconstruction Gwadar Port to be great hub of economic of activity of the region. Pakistan wants to provide facilities of international standards in and around Gwadar so that foreign traders and investors could get hassle-free access to and from the commercial hub of the country, the official said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\09\story_9-6-2006_pg5_6

mrfix

June 10th, 2006, 04:40 PM

Gwadar Google Earth update

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/817/gwaderport8do.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8833/gwaderport20eb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

mrfix

June 10th, 2006, 05:02 PM

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9923/gwaderport39bl.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/6221/gwaderport44bn.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

imran02feb79

June 11th, 2006, 12:30 PM

DPW may win Gwadar port deal in 'trade-off'
BY ISAAC JOHN (Chief Business Reporter)

11 June 2006

DUBAI — Pakistan may scrap the normal open bidding process to hand over Gwadar port management directly to Dubai Port World in a possible trade-off, according to a top ranking government official.

Waseem Haqqie, head of Pakistan’s Engineering Development Board, was quoted by Dow Jones that Pakistan might skip the open bidding process "as a favour," shutting the door to other interested parties. "We have followed the bidding process in all previous deals, but in the case of Gwadar it can be a direct handover."

Haqqie, who is the former chairman of Pakistan’s Board of Investment (BOI), said: "As far as I know there is a strong possibility of a trade-off here. I believe, after the deal is finalised, Pakistan will see some more Dubai investments in different sectors,” he said.

The UAE has become the largest foreign investor in Pakistan following an investment commitment of more than Dh124 billion made by Emaar, Dubai World and Etisalat in various industrial, real estate and telecom projects.

Haqqie's statement comes close on the heels of an announcement made by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousaf that the operational management at the deep-sea port has already been given to DP World. Gwadar Port is in Balochistan province.

Although both sides — Pakistan government and DP World —have yet to formally announce the deal, the chief minister's statement endorses the views expressed by the former BOI chief that the government of Pakistan preferred DP World over other shortlisted bidders including PSA International of Singapore, Globe Marine Services of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan International Container Terminal.

Following the exit of Hutchison Port Holdings of Hong Kong, a strong contender, from the race, it was almost certain that DP World, a subsidiary of Dubai World, would win the bid to take over the management of the strategic Arabian Sea port built with Chinese assistance.

Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousaf, talking to media recently in Quetta, also said five border points have been opened with Iran to promote trade via Gwadar port. He said the port would take time to start generating revenue and denied a statement by the provincial finance minister that the Balochistan government had sent a proposal to the federal government regarding fixation of a specific percentage in the revenue for the province.

Commodore Munir Wahid, project director of the Gwadar Port Implementation Authority, also recently hinted at the good progress made by both sides in finalising the agreement to give DP World operational management of the port, which is envisaged to be used as corridor for energy supply to China. It can also be an energy corridor for Pakistan, China and India. Apart from this, the new port is positioned as a trade and industrial and oil transportation corridor.

DP World has also bid for Gwadar's $865 million phase-II that will add nine more berths, an approach channel and storage terminals. It will have three container terminals with a quay length of 2km. The total cost of the Gwadar project is estimated at $1.6 billion, of which China has contributed about $198 million for the first phase. China invested another $200 million to build a highway connecting the port with Karachi.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2006/June/business_June322.xml&section=business