Gwadar’s geostrategic significance makes it an important trading hub.
ISLAMABAD: The Gwadar seaport is, needless to say, what makes the area famous. It is the third deep-sea port of Pakistan after Port Qasim and the Karachi port. Not only is the Gwadar port a national level trading point, but it also opens up avenues for international trade. More importantly, a mega project of the Gwadar seaport and the Makran coast such as Pasni, Ormara and Jiwani fulfill the requirements of three strategically important regions in Western China, South Asia and the oil-rich Middle East.
The first phase of the Gwadar port project started in June 2002 with China’s help. It was completed by the end of 2004. The second phase was inaugurated by former president Pervez Musharraf and the Chinese Communication Minister, Li Sha Sheng, on March 20, 2007, at a cost of $600 million. So far, China has already spent $248 million on the port’s construction.
Gwadar’s geostrategic significance makes it an important trading hub. More than 13 million barrels of oil pass every day through the Strait of Hormuz. Indeed, Gwadar, as a seaport, is a gateway to Southwest and Central Asia. What is worth mentioning is that 20 countries of the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia will benefit from Gwadar port once it is complete.
Noor Ahmed Jugri
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2014.
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