Gwadar port city development project | News and Updates

[W.11]

Gwadar link roads completion prioritised

Saturday, April 20, 2013 - Islamabad—The National Highway Authority (NHA) has attached top priority to develop the road linkages to the Gwadar Port which can prove backbone of the country’s economy in the near future.

An National Highway Authority official told media on Friday that road connectivity with the Gwadar port was crucial for making it hub of transit trade between Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics and China.

He said that the Government has spent a total of Rs 13,527 million on the construction of link roads to Gwadar Port during past five years.

Giving details he said Rs 3854 million had been spent on the construction of N-10, N-85,and M-8 linking Gwadar with rest of the country in 2008-9, Rs 3738 million in 2009-10, Rs 1946 million in 2010-11, Rs 1630 million during 2011-12 and 2359 million during 2012-13.

He said Rs 1 billion has been allocated for providing comprehensive foolproof security and creation of dedicated wing of Frontier Constabulary for providing security to contractors and labour.

The National Highway Authority has planned the construction of another 110 km long Basima-Khuzdar road (N-30) for providing connectivity to Gwadar port.Moreover it has planned the construction of seven roads for providing connectivity to Gwadar Port, he said.

Three roads have already been completed including 653 km Lyari-Ormara-Gwadar-Gabd road (N-10). Another 35 km section of M-8 from Khuzdar- Khori road has also been completed while Khori-Quba Saeed Khan road has been nearly completed.

About 25 percent of 467 km long Hoshab-Basima-Sorab (N-85) has also been completed while 196 km long Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Highway has been completed about 75 percent.

 

[darkinsky]

Minister for speedy establishment of EPZA in Gwadar


Establishment of Export Processing Zone in Gwadar can prove instrumental in bringing substantial foreign and local investment through economic and trade activity. When fully functional, it has the potential to benefit many neighbouring and landlocked countries. This was observed by Shahzada Ahsan Ashraf Shaikh, Minister for Industries and Production during his visit to Export Processing Zones Authority in Karachi.

While emphasising the importance of Gawadar, the Federal Minister said that the importance of this port is strategic in nature and it can be visualised to become a regional hub serving incoming and out going commercial traffic of Middle East, Central Asian Republics and Gulf countries. It will attract trade from over twenty countries including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and Iran. Keeping such profile of trade in perspective it is natural to plan establishment of an Export Processing Zone in Gwadar on priority basis.

The Federal Minister assured Chairman EPZA and his team that the Ministry will extend all out support for establishment of an Export Processing Zone in Gwadar and instructed EPZA Chairman to immediately speed up the work in this regard. Chairman EPZA, Saadat S. Cheema informed the Federal Minister that Gwadar is already on the top priority of his team. He mentioned that the land which has been allocated for EPZA in Gwadar is far from the port; we, therefore, request for its re-allocation near the port as otherwise Export Processing Zone in Gwadar will become a lesser attractive business proposition for the investors. By moving close to the port we may well become a country specific export processing zone, keeping in perspective the significant Chinese investment in Gwadar Port.

 

[darkinsky]

accelerate the pace of work on the Gwadar-Ratodero Road

Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has said that the government will accelerate the pace of work on the Gwadar-Ratodero Road so that people of Pakistan can reap the benefits of the Gwadar port.
He said this while presiding over a high-level meeting here on Monday to review the progress of work on Gwadar-Ratodero Road.
The Prime Minister said that Gwadar-Ratodero is a strategic link, which is of national importance.
The Prime Minister issued instructions that work on Khuzdar-Ratodero section and Hoshab-Gwadar section should be completed during the next 12 months while work on N-85 Road and N-30 should be prioritized for early completion of these linkages with Gwadar.
The Prime Minister was informed that total road network of the country was spread over 12131 kilometers of which over 37 percent of the roads comprised those in Balochistan.
He said that the completion of this road is not only important for linking Gwadar with the rest of the country but shall stimulate development in the area right from Gwadar upto Ratodero.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Communication‚ Asadullah Khan Mandokhel‚ Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance‚ Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhary‚ Chairman National Highway Authority‚ Hamid Ali Khan and senior officials.

Rattodero-Gwadar M-8 completion within 3 months
Monday, April 15, 2013 - Islamabad—National Highway Authority (NHA) will complete the under-construction sections of Rattodero-Gwadar Motorway (M-8) within three months. The decision has been made following the directives of the Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso for early completion of ongoing projects in Balochistan, an official of NHA informed APP on Sunday. About the present status of the M-8 he said that 60 per cent work on 54 km Gwadar-Dasht has been completed, while 64 pc work on 63 km Dasht-Turbat section has been completed.

60 pc work on 76 km Turbat-Hosbab section has been completed while on 50 km Khori-Wangu Hills 65 work has been completed,he added.—APP

 

[monitor12345]

I think PN has to do even more like they should explain and force the GoP in the right way by letting the GoP to look towards developing a Modern Naval Base with all the facilities there and 3 Mega Ship Yards and more over making Ormara and Karachi Naval Base restructuring as well as constructing a 3rd Ship Yard in Karachi. Also they should try to play their own role to make Gawadar Operational by our own people like Experience people from Karachi Port and Port Qasim about 35% of there force along with new talent from Balochistan especially to be recruited for Gawadar Port Authority and paying off China their $1.1 Billion in soft and easy installments 3-5 years.... INSHA ALLAH all this can be achieved by the Grace of Almighty ALLAH and will of our own people. Ameen.

For all that construction to happen, law and order situation should be favourable. For law & order improvement, there should be no violence in Balochistan. For preventing violence, Every Baloch should be given more Jobs & Education.
Then You can construct whatever you want...

 

[monitor12345]

Stop all other projects and Complete these Important projects first. Stop funds to all the small projects and divert all those funds to Important Projects. The Business Community should put pressure on the Government to complete these projects, because the Profits of the businessmen will increase if these projects start functioning.

All the TV Channels are busy with Elections. Not a single Channel shows a program on Gwadar port Progress. 7 days a Week, Only Election Programmes are shown. There is no variety in the content of TV channels.

 

[RangerPK]

Stop all other projects and Complete these Important projects first. Stop funds to all the small projects and divert all those funds to Important Projects. The Business Community should put pressure on the Government to complete these projects, because the Profits of the businessmen will increase if these projects start functioning.

All the TV Channels are busy with Elections. Not a single Channel shows a program on Gwadar port Progress. 7 days a Week, Only Election Programmes are shown. There is no variety in the content of TV channels.

I guess you seem quite fond of Pakistani TV channels. I think people just want to complete this project quietly as possible, without making a fuss about it so it may go unnoticed by the international community..or at least make it easier for them to turn a blind eye...

 

[Pboy]

Fighting Terrorism, Loadshedding and developing Gwadar is some of the steps needed to stabilize the country

 

[darkinsky]

Stop all other projects and Complete these Important projects first. Stop funds to all the small projects and divert all those funds to Important Projects. The Business Community should put pressure on the Government to complete these projects, because the Profits of the businessmen will increase if these projects start functioning.

All the TV Channels are busy with Elections. Not a single Channel shows a program on Gwadar port Progress. 7 days a Week, Only Election Programmes are shown. There is no variety in the content of TV channels.

if our incompetent government was such 'visionary' we wont be in such crises in the first place do we?

 

[Super Falcon]

if pakistani government and specially army and ISI stop messing in balochisatan probleum only one thing should be seen what is good for people of balochistan and than people of pakistan when balouchistan people get better automatically we get as a nation better if gwadar had been in anyother country till now it would be world biggest and state of the art port and we are still fighting army and other services stop messing now and contribute to what is good for pakistan not for others selling our childs future for few dollars is stupidity

 

[ejaz007]

China assumes charge of Gwadar Port

ISLAMABAD: China has formally assumed charge of Pakistan’s deep-water Gwadar Port following an agreement signed between the two countries in February this year.

Three companies including China Port Holding, China Merchant and Cosco Shipping would be responsible for the handling of Gwadar port.

Beijing would help Islamabad construct a road, which would link the port with the Coastal High Way. Beside this, China would also provide financial add to complete the project.

China assumes charge of Gwadar Port - thenews.com.pk

 

[Cyberian]

China takes over operational control of Gwadar Port
Friday, May 24, 2013

By Razi Syed

KARACHI: China has successfully taken over the operational control of Gwadar Port on Thursday. With its financial and technical assistance China built this port on Pakistan’s southwest coast.

The contract of operation of Gwadar Port has been given to China Overseas Ports Holding Company Limited.

The Chinese would help link coastal highway with the port besides would start trans-shipment, sources in the Port and Shipping said.

After pull out by Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) of a 40-year port management and development contract signed in 2007, China will operate the port, which is strategically located close to the Pakistan-Iran border and the Strait of Hormuz in south-western Balochistan province.

The business community is terming the deal a great success as it will offer an energy and trade corridor that will connect China to the Arabian Sea and Strait of Hormuz, a gateway for a third of the world’s traded oil, overland through an expanded Karakoram Highway.

They said it would cut thousands of kilometres (kms) off the distance, which oil and gas imports from Africa and the Middle East have to travel to reach China.

China paid about 75 percent of the initial $250 million used to build the port but in 2007 PSA International won a 40-year operating lease.

The Singaporean firm decided to quit the Gwadar project after Pakistan’s government failed to transfer land needed to develop a free zone, as was promised under a 40-year concession deal signed in February 2007.

The port has the potential to serve as a secure outlet as well as storage and trans-shipment hub for the Middle East and Central Asia oil and gas supplies through a well-defined corridor passing through Pakistan.

China has contributed about $198 million of the initial investment for the port project.

It was expected that Chinese companies and exporters would handle their own cargo and this would make Gwadar Port one of the busiest in the region.

China will likely re-launch the Gwadar oil refinery project, which was halted in 2009 because of security concerns in the province. The refinery will have a total capacity of 19 million tonnes of oil per year.

The proposed refinery and the oil pipeline is actually a part of a planned Pakistan-China energy corridor.

Chinese engineers have already completed a feasibility study for a railroad and oil pipeline, which would enable Gwadar Port to handle most of the oil tankers headed to China.

The operational control of the port will enable China’s access to the Indian Ocean, which is strategically important for China as it expands its influence across the region.

To ensure the security of shipments along existing routes, a Chinese naval presence at Gwadar could also patrol the Indian Ocean sea-lanes.

Gwadar Port will be connected with China’s western province of Xinjiang through rail and road links. China’s eastern seaboard ports are 3,500 kms away from the city of Kashgar in western China whereas the distance from Kashgar to Gwadar Port is only 1,500 kms. On January 30, 2013 the Federal Cabinet Committee had approved the transfer of Gwadar Port to China.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Argus Panoptes]

...............

Chinese engineers have already completed a feasibility study for a railroad and oil pipeline, which would enable Gwadar Port to handle most of the oil tankers headed to China..............

That statement is full of bovine excreta. Simple numbers of oil imported by China via oil tankers, and the costs and capacities of a railroad oil pipeline are enough to knock sense into this fantastic claim.

Wait, let's be fair and ask for a link to this purported feasibility study so that we all may be enlightened by its gems of wisdom.

 

[Albatross]

That statement is full of bovine excreta. Simple numbers of oil imported by China via oil tankers, and the costs and capacities of a railroad oil pipeline are enough to knock sense into this fantastic claim.

Wait, let's be fair and ask for a link to this purported feasibility study so that we all may be enlightened by its gems of wisdom.

Well mate I agree with your logic but would you be able to provide feasibility report for bhasha dams or any other projects of pakistan ..I guess not as such reports arnt available online for ordinary users.. I myself work in marine supply chain firm and learnt from some reliable sources its the cost especially beyond batgram(from where karakorm high way starts) till border and further inside chinese territory till kashgar thats a big hurdle , according to that source for a road,rail and pipeline composite contruction we need atleast 10 million dollar per kilometer and its around 600 km in total till kashgar..But at the same time from kashgar till china's eastern ports distance is 3500 Km and from gwadar its 1500...And as the ships travel around the singapore it also adds a sailing time of about two weeks which adds to goods cost which wouldnt be the case with gwadar as the time taken to reach euorpe would be 8-9 days instead of 22-25 days so in the long run its a win win for both Pak and china as whole western china and on the whole 70% of china is undeveloped due to lack of infrastructure..
If china really wants to contain india to its current level she will have to take this bold and expensive step as there is no other way out and at the same time we will have to curb this US,India financed militancy in tribal belt to let things work in right direction..

And yes one more thing I have even seen a structural drawing of that composite construction with road on top and railways line below it (like old attock bridge built by britishers on indus) and a pipeline attached to brackets right under the train track , I am trying to get a copy of that to share it with you guys.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

................
And yes one more thing I have even seen a structural drawing of that composite construction with road on top and railways line below it (like old attock bridge built by britishers on indus) and a pipeline attached to brackets right under the train track , I am trying to get a copy of that to share it with you guys.

Such drawings of fantastic projects are worth nothing. I simply do not see a railroad and/or pipeline going over the Karakorums anytime in this century at least, may be even the next.

http://pinktentacle.com/2010/06/futuristic-mega-projects-by-shimizu/

 

[Albatross]

Such drawings of fantastic projects are worth nothing. I simply do not see a railroad and/or pipeline going over the Karakorums anytime in this century at least, may be even the next.

Futuristic mega-projects by Shimizu ~ Pink Tentacle

I agree with your logic but a pipeline is lot easier as compare to rail link as already karakoram highway is in process of extension and laying a pipe under or beside it wouldnt be something out of space ...Yeah rail link is a challenge but even chinese media is rife with such speculations so lets see what future holds but we will have to take care of this militancy before any other nation can go for such mega projects inside Pak..

The drawing I was talking about wasnt just a computer based model it indicated potential materials for main components,bonding materials and the elevation index and temp variations and was so eloborate that it looked like the work of someone who knew what he was doing and was done by some govt organ of china or pak..