Bull said:
Asim,
im not aware of commercial property aroubnd gwadar being sold.
Tons!
It depends on who has bought it and whast happening over there now.The author says a part of the port was completed long time back and nothing has hapened.So if the commercial property is going as hot cakes you should already have seen booming commerce thru there.So why hasnt that happened?
Has pakistans commerce or trade grown or boomed to such an extend that called for a extra port?Has karachi become so conjested that a new port was a necessity?
And also a good part of the funding has come from China,so whats China getting back in return?
Port Qasim (Khi), cannot deal with a number of things. I mean I haven't seen it, but I've seen the Dubai ports, and you could just tell that a world class operation is at place when you see the insides of them.
From the top of my head:
1. Storage facilities. And you need these of all kinds. In Dubai there's a whole field (of big containers) of storage facilities for perishables. Another field for cars, another for electronics, another for glass items, the list endless.
To introduce that NOW in Karachi? Near impossible.
2. Transport Facilities. There's no rail connection in Dubai but all of UAE's not big at all, and there are top notch road access to the Jebel Ali Port. The port lies directly on the Emirates Highway, from which connects with Dubai/Sharjah bypassing the city and going through the desert, and which it inturn is connected directly to the Al Ain/Oman Highway, Abu Dhabi Highway, Ras Al Khaimah, Saudi Arabia.
And to top it all off from Jebel Ali to the Dubai Airport through the Emirates high way takes like 5 minutes.
The Mekraan coastal highway is not the Emirates Highway for Gwadar. That's a whole different project for real estate development of the Coast. The equivalent of the Emirates Highway is something better that we have is National highway. Which connects, Karachi to China. Much of this Highway is being replaced by modern Motorways since the national Highway cannot be further modernized, widened, etc. The national highway includes much of the old GT road (Karachi to Lahore, Lahore to Delhi).
For this purpose Gwadar will be connected with motorways and rail links. Again from South to North, all the way to China. Hence bringin in access from all of Pakistan.
3. Oil processing: Pak has just launched work n a $2Bn Oil refinery in the neighboring Lasbella district. Gwadar is to have oil transporting/storing facility. And new plans are underway to connect Pakistan's oilpipeline network all the way to China. Arab Oil can easily be taken in at Gwadar and transported through oil pipelines to whoever needs it, including Pakistan.
Bringing oil pipelines to Karachi is near impossible.
4. Security. We all know India attacked the Karachi port. Its right there along with our first lines of defence. If our main port is shifted a few hundred kilometers back, its some added protection.
The focus is the Port, of course, but remember we're making a CITY, not just a port. The port is going to be the main asset for that city.
sell gwadar to us??who is us?
Gwadar was Omani territory till the 60s, Pakistan bought it off.
Bedouin like Arab locals who've become Pakistanis now.