#China Turning #Pakistan's #Gwadar Port Into Regional Giant. #CPEC

https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-china-gwadar-port/4084175.html

An unprecedented Chinese financial and construction effort is rapidly developing Pakistan’s strategically located Arabian Sea port of Gwadar into one of the world’s largest transit and transshipment cargo facilities.

The deep water port lies at the convergence of three of the most commercially important regions of the world, the oil-rich Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia.

Beijing is developing Gwadar as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, known as CPEC. The two countries launched the 15-year joint mega project in 2015 when President Xi Jinping visited Islamabad.

Under the cooperation deal construction or improvement of highways, railways, pipelines, power plants, communications and industrial zones is underway in Pakistan with an initially estimated Chinese investment of $46 billion.

The aim is to link Gwadar to landlocked western China, including its Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, giving it access to a shorter and secure route through Pakistan to global trade. The port will also provide the shortest route to landlocked Central Asian countries, including Afghanistan, through transit trade and offering transshipment facilities.

Chinese fuel imports and trading cargo will be loaded on trucks and ferried to and from Xinjiang through the Karakoram Highway, snaking past snow-caped peaks in northern Pakistan.

‘Qualitative change’

Gwadar will be able to handle about one million tons of cargo annually by the end of the year. Officials anticipate that with expansion plans under way, the port will become South Asia’s biggest shipping center within five years, with a yearly capacity of handling 13-million tons of cargo. And by 2030, they say, it will be capable of handling up to 400-million tons of cargo annually.

China has in recent months begun calling CPEC the flagship project of its global Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. The “qualitative change” from an experimental project to flagship project underscores the importance Beijing attaches to CPEC, said Zhao Lijian, the deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad.

Out of 39 “early harvest” projects under CPEC, 19 have since been completed or are under construction with a Chinese investment of about $18.5 billion, Lijian told VOA. The progress makes it the fastest developing of all of at least six BRI’s corridors China plans to establish, added the Chinese diplomat.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE > BUSINESS
Pakistan’s construction industry – the hot cake for foreign investors

By Tehreem HusainPublished: October 23, 2017

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1538687/2-infrastructure-building-paki...

The construction industry is playing an important role in economic growth of Pakistan. Recent (provisional) estimates published in the Economic Survey of Pakistan show that the industry grew 9.1% in FY17 and contributed 2.7% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

BMI Research has also provided a healthy growth outlook for the sector, putting it at 11.8% annually from 2016-20 and 9.1% over 2016-25.

The signing of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement and improvement in the country’s security situation have been the key to giving boost to not only the construction industry, but Pakistan’s image abroad. With China having the first-mover advantage in injecting foreign investment into the country, other countries have followed suit.

The sector has also been an important recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI). This can be judged from the latest figures provided by the State Bank of Pakistan, which show that the construction industry received a net inflow of $35.7 million in August 2017.

How attractive the industry is perceived to be for foreign investors can be gauged from the fact that in the current fiscal year from July-August FY18 the industry has received $55.7 million relative to $1.6 million in the same period of last year.

Locally, investment has also been boosted by government policies such as reduction in duties and taxes on building materials like steel, construction machinery and equipment and computerisation of land ownership records.

Large-scale #manufacturing in #Pakistan sees 11.3% growth in first two months of FY 2017-18

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/business/large-scale-manufacturing-...

LSM share stands at 80pc in total manufacturing

Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) observed a growth of 11.3 percent during first two months (July-August) of fiscal year 2017-18 on year-on-year basis.

According to the data by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the sector recorded an increase of 13 percent in July. The annual growth target for the LSM is 6.3pc, while it had achieved 5.6pc in previous financial year 2016-17.

In August, the LSM observed a growth of 8.5 percent on annual basis.

In total manufacturing, LSM’s share stands at 80pc, while small-scale manufacturing constitutes 13.7pc. Similarly, the mega manufacturing constitutes 10.7pc of total GDP (Gross Domestic Product) against 1.8pc of small level manufacturing.

As per Ministry of Industries’s data regarding 36 products, these items made 5.44pc of total LSM growth in August. The share of 65 items, whose manufacturing data is provided by provincial bureaus of statistics, recorded at 1.3pc.

The Oil Companies Advisory Committee’s (OCAC) data regarding 11 items stated that theses items contributed 1.8 percent in growth of LSM during the second month.

Govt denies rumours of $500 million Chinese investment in Gwadar real estate

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/10/23/govt-denies-rumours-of-...

The federal government on Monday warned the general public not to pay any heed to the rumours about a heavy investment, allegedly made by a Chinese in the real estate business in Gwadar, and asked the investors not to invest in any phoney company which might be involved in a massive fraud.

In an official statement, the spokesman of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform cautioned the public at large not to pay heed towards an alleged investment of US $500 million in Gwadar’s real estate business under the name of ‘China Pak Hills’.

Apropos news item – “Chinese company invests $500 million in Gwadar residential project” – published in a section of the press, has claimed that China Pak Hills has invested US $500 million in Gwadar’s real estate business. It is to put on record that Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) has not issued any No Objection Certificate (NOC) to a housing project named as ‘China Pak Hills’, said an official handout by China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Secretariat at Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform.

“The report is baseless and highly exaggerated. Even GDA has no information about $500m Chinese investment in the housing sector,” said the spokesperson.

He further stated that the news item presented a highly exaggerated scenario about Chinese professionals shifting to Gwadar by 2023. “The newspaper should have contacted the ministry of planning before publishing such news item having such content,” the statement added.

Mega #oil city to be constructed in #Gwadar as part of #CPEC. Plan includes oil terminal and storage tanks, oil #refinery and #petrochemical #industrial complex. #Pakistan #China

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/271367-mega-oil-city-to-be-constru...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to construct a mega oil city at Gwadar on 80,000 acres under much hyped China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

This mega oil city will be used for transportation of imported oil through the Gwadar Port to China. The oil will be imported from Gulf and will be stored at this proposed mega Gwadar oil city.

The distance to China will be reduced, and it will take just seven days to cover the distance from Gwadar to Chinese border as import through western China took almost 40 days by covering double distance.

“We have forwarded PC-1 to the Ministry of Petroleum for acquiring 80,000 acres for this mega oil city at Gwadar with estimated cost of Rs10 billion. There will be additional cost for construction of its storage and other aligned facilities with the help of investments,” Director General, Gwadar Development Authority (GDA), Dr Sajjad H Baloch, told Islamabad based journalists who visited the Gwadar Port last week. This visit was arranged by the Planning Commission in order to show case different ongoing projects under CPEC.

A refinery, petrochemical industries and storage will be established in the oil city, he added.

The Gwadar oil city, he said, would be used for storing oil for its onward transportation to China. Usually, it takes 40 days for vessels to transport oil to China but via Pakistan it will reach China within 7 days, he added. He said that the total area of Gwadar Model City is 290,000 acres which includes 160,000 acres of residential area while the remaining is for industrial purposes. A Chinese company is working on the Model City Plan and it will be ready by August 14, 2018.

To another query regarding different measures for overcoming water shortages at Gwadar, he said that the current water requirement stood at six million gallons per day and there is no direct water supply taking place to the area. Two MGD water is being supplied from two water small dams through tankers and nearest distance is almost 70 kilometres.

“We have a deficit of four million gallons per day in water supply to the area,” he said and added that by 2020, the water requirement of Gwadar would be 12 million gallons per day, for which additional arrangements were made to get 10 million gallons of water.

New Gwadar International Airport: Earlier, the journalists visited the site of proposed new airport at Gwadar. The China Airport Construction Group Engineering Company representative Jianxin Liao told the visiting journalists that they were conducting soil investigation on the basis of which, the design of new airport at Gwadar will be finalised. He said that the procured land for this new airport stood at 4,300 acres, and this airport will possess capacity to handle one million passengers on annual basis. He said that by April this year the design will be completed after which the cost of the project will be estimated. It will be the biggest airport of Pakistan.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) representative Zohaib Soomro said that the initial cost of the project was estimated at $228 million, but its cost would be finalised after completion of design, and it would be estimated again.

The sources said that it would be premature to give any assessment related to cost, but it would be more than $2 billion to $2.7 billion at least if we want to construct state of the art airport in accordance with international standards.

Pakistan, China Jointly Showcase Arabian Sea Gwadar Port

https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-china-jointly-showcase-arabian-s...

Pakistan and China have jointly organized the first international exhibition to showcase the significance of the Arabian Sea Gwadar Port and its economic free zone as an emerging international business hub.

The warm water deep sea commercial port, which overlooks some of the world’s busiest oil and gas shipping lanes, has been built and recently expanded with Chinese financial assistance.

More than 200 companies from both China and Pakistan were present in Monday’s event at Gwadar, while six Chinese provinces also sent their representatives, said Beijing’s ambassador to Islamabad, Yao Jing, while addressing the ceremony.

Foreign diplomats and business leaders were also invited to the opening session of the two-day event.

Chinese operators of the port say the Gwadar Free Zone shall bring extensive economic benefits, like a tax holiday for 23 years and land lease up to 99 years to the upcoming businesses along with other incentives and pro-business policy frame work for general trade, services, manufacturing, logistics, trans-shipment and bunkering business.

Direct benefit for Pakistan

Gwardar port is to be a trans-shipment hub connected to landlocked western Chinese regions, giving Beijing a secure and shorter international trade route through Pakistan.

Gwadar is celebrated as the gateway to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a flagship of President Xi Jinping’s global Belt and Road Initiative to build a new “Silk Road” of land and maritime trade routes across more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Under CPEC, networks of road, communications, rail, economic zones and power plants are being built and upgraded in Pakistan with an estimated Chinese investment of $62 billion.

Around $27 billion in projects are underway or completed, including “early harvest” energy projects, adding much-needed electricity to Pakistan’s national grid.

“I would like to say that the Chinese government will continue to invest and send our input to further support the development of this project. Also, we will encourage Chinese companies and Chinese businessmen to join the development of Gwadar,” vowed Chinese envoy Jing.

Wider benefit planned

During the ceremony, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said CPEC is the “most visible part” of China’s of BRI, saying the mega project will cater not only to the needs of his country, but to the needs of the region.

Officials expect Gwadar’s cargo handling capacity to increase to 1.2 million tonnes by the end of this year and it will be able to process about 13 million tons by 2022, making it the largest port in South Asia.

Chinese partners say they would need around 38,000 skilled workers by 2023 for the Free Zone, according to Dostain Jamaldini, Chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority. He says of the 2,500 current workers, around 500 are Chinese nationals and the rest are locals.

An international airport with a 12,000 meter runway is being constructed in the once sleepy town with a Chinese financial grant of around $300 million.

The Arabian Sea port is located in Pakistan’s largest province of Baluchistan where militant groups, including Islamic State, and a low-level insurgency remain key security challenges to CPEC.

Additionally, the corridor runs through Pakistan-controlled portion of the divided Kashmir region, drawing objections from rival India. The United States suspects China may also turn Gwadar into a military base.

But Chinese officials reject those concerns, maintaining “CPEC is merely an economic cooperation project,” and Islamabad dismisses New Delhi’s opposition as politically motivated.

#Pakistan’s port city gains economic vitality after free zone launched. Will #Gwadar be next #Honkong or #Dubai? #CPEC #China #SEZ http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/pakistans-port-city-gains-econo... …

For decades, Pakistanis have dreamed for Gwadar to become the next Dubai. Yet the port city in southwestern Pakistan, despite its advantageous location on the shores of the Arabian Sea, had long remained underdeveloped in the past.

Recently, the economy of the prominent city in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan seems to gear up, especially with the launching of the Gwadar free trade zone on Jan. 29, reviving hopes for it to become a global trade hub.

Launching of the free trade zone was a historic moment. It is the beginning of a dream coming true, Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistani Minister for Interior and Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, said at the launching ceremony.

RAPID PORT DEVELOPMENT

Less than a year ago, the Gwadar port complex was still a giant construction site. Now it has become a brand new modern harbor boasting giant brand new cranes, hotels, warehouses, factories and a business center.

The unprecedented pace of development convinced locals of the future of Gwadar.

“Gwadar will lead the take-off of Pakistan’s economy. It will be the next Dubai or Hong Kong,” local banker Masood Awan said.

Gwadar Expo, a two-day trade fair, coincided with the opening of the free trade zone. Muhammad Niazi, a seafood exporter, had planned to represent his company at the event, but failed to get a booth as more than 5,000 companies had vied for just 150 vacancies.

More than 25,000 people visited the trade fair, according to China Overseas Ports Holdings Co. (COPHC), which took over the operation of the port in 2013.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had to increase the frequency of its flights from Karachi to Gwadar from one to two per day, while announcing that a new flight from Pakistan’s capital Islamabad to Gwadar will be open by the end of the year.

Even without a booth, Niazi and his colleagues flew to Gwadar from Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi. He stayed after the trade fair closed on Jan. 30, busy making new business contacts.

“We are determined to expand our business to Gwadar. The speed of development is just amazing,” Niazi said.

BETTER CITY LIFE

More than 30 Chinese and Pakistani companies are investing some 500 million U.S. dollars in the free trade zone, said Hu Zongyao, deputy general manager of the Gwadar free trade zone, which is expected to bring thousands of jobs to the fishing city of less than 100,000 population.

Also, COPHC have worked with the local government and Chinese organizations to help improve living conditions in Gwadar, including the installation of desalination facilities to provide a million gallons of drinking water to local residents.

China’s Red Cross Society helped build a medical station, while China Foundation for Peace and Development help set up a primary school there.

“Better living conditions means better investment environment and more talents. Helping the locals is also helping ourselves,” Hu said.

“Investment by experienced and competent Chinese companies is encouraging for the future of Gwadar. The port will one day become a top destination for business and tourism, a regional, even global trade center,” said Dostain Khan Jamaldini, chairman of Gwadar Port Authority.

The construction of the city is a long-haul endeavor. It takes time to build infrastructure, find investment and talents and cultivate economic vitality. Eventually the city will grow as evidenced by many global cosmopolitans that had been fishing villages.


Wade Shepard, a Forbes contributor, believed a “clearly stated plan” is behind CPEC’s progress. China and Pakistan publicized a long-term plan for CPEC in 2017.

Chinese giant to build Gwadar’s first luxury Golf Community

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/307352-chinese-giant-to-build-gwa...

State-owned Chinese construction company China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has announced that it has entered into agreement for the construction of Gwadar's first luxury gated Golf Community with a Pakistani company.

Empire Properties, the Pakistan registered company, and the CCECC have signed a memorandum of understanding as the prospective contractor for the construction of China Pak Golf Estates, Gwadar's first luxury Golf Community.

The $265 million development is a milestone in the development of Gwadar and will deliver the emerging port city’s most premier residential and lifestyle destination, said a joint press release issued here.

Commenting on the partnership Mr Wang Lei, Managing Director CCECC (Pakistan) said: "It is a great honour to be working alongside a forward thinking international conglomerate like CPIC. China Pak Golf Estates is a ground breaking development for not only Gwadar but Pakistan and we are honoured to be a part of this monumental project and contributing to the growth story of Emerging Pakistan. CCECC are a leading global contractor with 39 years of experience in over 40 countries delivering high quality projects ranging from civil engineering design and consultancy to real estate development. We aim to deliver a timeless community in China Pak Golf Estates that will set a new standard to master community development in Pakistan."

Afzal Shah, CEO or Empire Properties said: "China Pak Golf Estates will truly set a new standard to real estate community development in Pakistan and there isn't a better company we could be working with to deliver this grand vision than CCECC. I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr Wang Lei and his team as we embark on this virtuous journey together. Our vision extends beyond developing Pakistan's finest communities, we will change the fabric of Pakistan's real estate industry by setting a new benchmark for integrity and transparency in a market that at times can be described as less than open. Our goal is to elevate the market to the same standards as established international markets. This will result in the introduction of institutional investment which in turn will revolutionise the country’s real estate sector and deliver the quality of life Pakistanis deserve".

#Pakistan’s #Gwadar International #Airport will be the largest in the country. Spread over an area of 4,300 acres, it will be able to land Airbus #A380, the biggest wide-body passenger #aircraft. #Balochistan #China #CPEC http://bit.ly/2YF8a4k

The construction of the airport will be completed within three years at the cost of US$256million.

Unlike other projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are operating under concessional loans, the Airport is planned under a Chinese grant.

The airport will also be the biggest in Pakistan at an area of 4,300 acres.

It will be the biggest airport of Pakistan. In comparison to other airports like Karachi Airport (3,700 acres), Islamabad International Airport (3,600 acres), Lahore Airport (2,800 acres), the Gwadar Airport will be built on 4,300 acres.


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The airport is one of several development projects in Gwadar worth $690 million which the Chinese government is financing as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

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The project is part of overall infrastructure development of Balochistan. It would be developed as a green-field facility with all modern facilities for safe operation.

The project would comprise a modern terminal building with cargo terminal having initial handling capacity of 30,000 tons per year.

On this occasion, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed for construction of Pakistan and China Vocational Training Institute and Pak-China Friendship Hospital.

Prime Minister Imran thanked the Chinese Ambassador for the grant given by the Chinese government for the airport.

Benefits to local people
He categorically said any development would be of no use unless it benefited the local people.

He said in the past, the locals were ignored while executing the development projects in Balochistan. He said gas worth billions of rupees was extracted from Sui but it could not change the living standard of the local people.

He said it was pleasing that the capacity of the hospital in Gwadar would be enhanced and a vocational training institute would also help create employment opportunities.

Prime Minister Imran announced to launch Insaf Sehat Card (health card) to provide health insurance cover worth Rs720,000 to every family.

He said previously power was being transmitted from Iran, but now the government had decided to link the area with national grid.

Desalination plant
A desalination plant would also be set up in the city and under Clean and Green Pakistan, one million saplings would be planted. Besides, a solid waste management system would also be established to protect the area from pollution.

He said following the models of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, the government had decided to recycle water in Gwadar to water the plants.

He told the gathering that Gwadar and Quetta would be linked through railways as it was the best travel mode but unfortunately Pakistan had been lagging behind in this sector.

Rail links
He said Chinese support was being sought to upgrade railway lines as China had the most advanced rail system. A high-speed rail link would cut travel time bewteen Karachi and Lahore to within four hours, instead of 18 hours by car, or 21 hours by bus at the moment.

Khan said having located at an ideal location and being well connected, Gwadar’s development would be the development of whole of Pakistan.

During the development process of the new airport, the existing airport’s capacity would also be enhanced by making it capable of transporting big aircrafts.

With the establishment of new international airport, the Gwadar city would become hub of aviation industry and it would also help elevating the CPEC framework.

#Balochistan’s #CPEC potential. #Industrial zones are planned for #Quetta, #Gwadar, Khuzdar, Uthal, Hub and Dera Murad Jamali as well as #mineral processing zone for extraction of #copper, #gold. Gwadar port city will rival #Dubai. #Pakistan https://dailytimes.com.pk/375458/balochistans-cpec-potential/


So how will CPEC benefit Pakistan and Balochistan? The answer is simple: through development. The deep sea port holds great trade potential. The infrastructure development will prove a great boost to trade and economy. Infrastructure developments will also open new and better markets. Resultantly, more investors would be attracted. The investment they bring will lead to the creation of more job opportunities. The living standards will improve gradually, but surely.


The road and rail network will help improve efficient movement of goods making the trade more efficient. Besides the road and rail network, three major energy projects are planned in the province, namely, Gwadar Coal Power Project, HUBCO Coal Power Plant and Gadani Power Park Project. These projects will contribute approximately 2,940 MW of energy to the national grid.

Most importantly, Gwadar is going to be the anchor and key driver of this mighty collaboration between China and Pakistan. It is hoped that Gwadar, having one of the world’s deepest sea ports, will become another Dubai by the time the project gets into its final stages. Balochistan is thus going to be a bridge between Asia on one side and the West on the other. The city itself will see massive modernization. Theses project will bring the federation and the province closer to each other.

Pakistan breaks ground on Gwadar Airport project

https://www.airport-technology.com/news/gwadar-airport-project/

The proposed airport, which is being funded by China, will cover an area of 4,300 acres. It will be capable of accommodating narrow-body aircraft, as well as big aircraft such as the Airbus A380.

The airport is one of numerous projects in Gwadar being financed by the Chinese government as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

In order to finance the airport, a grant agreement between Chain and Pakistan was signed in May 2017.

“The projects in Gwadar are conducted under a framework agreement with NDRC and a MoU with MOFCOM and the Exim Bank. Unlike many of the other China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Gwadar, the New Gwadar International Airport is not financed by a loan from China but through a Chinese grant,” cpecinfo.com said in a statement.

Scheduled to become operational over the next three year, the new airport will be developed under the guidance of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Once commissioned, it will become the second largest airport in Pakistan.

Pakistan believes that the new international airport, which will operate under the open skies policy, will help Gwadar to emerge as a regional economic hub.

The soil testing on the land, which started in January last year, has been completed through 300 boreholes made on various locations.

The aviation authorities have already approved the design and work plan for the airport.

Pakistan, China sign deal for two mega residential projects in Gwadar

https://www.geo.tv/latest/217833-pakistan-china-sign-deal-for-two-m...

ISLAMABAD: The China Pakistan Investment Corporation (CPIC) has signed a construction agreement with China’s state-owned mega construction conglomerate, BIDR to materialise Gwadar’s two mega residential and commercial projects.

The agreement was signed by CPIC Global Founding Board member Syed Zeeshaan Shah and BIDR Deputy Director and Chief Design Engineer Liu Bochun at a ceremony in Islamabad.

The agreement covers CPIC’s mega projects in Gwadar spread across 10 million square feet of prime residential and commercial real estate outfits, the International Port City and China Pak Golf Estates – the two approved projects by Gwadar Development Authority (GDA).

CPIC Global is the world’s first China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) -centric real estate developer with current under-development projects worth in excess of $500 million.

Speaking on the occasion, Shah said: “This is a momentous occasion for us. We are setting a new standard for community development in Pakistan and working with a global leader like BIDR will enable us to deliver our projects on time and on budget.”

On the current on-ground situation in Gwadar, Shah said the progress over the last 12 months in Gwadar has been phenomenal.

“The port and economic free zone are both fully operational now and 30 companies from Pakistan and China have committed to investing almost $500 million to develop their industries there. The dream of a Gwadar becoming a key economic hub of Asia is not far away now,” he added.

On the subject of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to China, Shah said that the Chinese have invested in Pakistan at a time when others snubbed it. “China and Pakistan are all-weather friends and China reiterated this by committing to help Pakistan with the balance of payment situation.”

He added, “The trip was particularly encouraging for Gwadar with both sides reiterating the significance of Gwadar as the central pillar of CPEC and agreeing to further expedite development of the port and its auxiliary projects.”

#China firm builds $250m industrial park in #Gwadar. It's an essential component of Gwadar Port development project under #CPEC. The free zone aims to improve #trade logistics, facilitate processing trade, and promote warehousing and financial services
https://nation.com.pk/15-Jul-2019/china-firm-builds-250m-industrial...

The China Overseas Ports Holding Ltd has invested nearly US $ 250 million and built a 25-acre modern industrial park in Gwadar port free zone.

The free zone is equipped with roads, water pipes, electricity, communications, security fence and waste disposal facilities, according to a report of China.org.cn here on Sunday. More than 30 Chinese and Pakistani enterprises have moved in the free zone, with three billion yuan of direct investment.

These include hotel, bank, insurance, financial leasing, logistics, overseas warehousing, grain and oil processing, aquatic product processing, and home appliances assembly. Their yearly output value will exceed five billion yuan once they all come into operation.

Both China and Pakistan agreed to build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Pakistan in May 2013 to promote energy and transportation infrastructure development, among other projects. During President Xi Jinping’s visit in April 2015, a closer bilateral cooperation was again highlighted.

A key element of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and an essential component of the Gwadar Port development project, the free zone aims to improve trade logistics, facilitate processing trade, and promote warehousing and financial services.

CM Balochistan inaugurates flagship housing project in Gwadar
By Manzoor Magsi

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2043166/1-cm-balochistan-inaugurates-f...

Gwadar-3, also known as G-3, is envisioned to be a symbol of Gwadar’s emergence as a regional trade and economic powerhouse.

Set to redefine Gwadar’s skyline forever, this flagship project will be situated on top of the majestic Koh-e-Batil hill with uninhibited three-sided ocean views of the magnificent Arabian Sea.

Moreover, its strategic location at the heart of Sangar Housing, adjacent to Gwadar deep seaport, makes it the finest and most prestigious address in Gwadar, and ultimately in Pakistan.

Eiwan Developments has partnered with Balochistan Energy Department to usher in a new era of development to the city, through the launch of its prestigious development project, G-3, making it an energy-efficient development.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the prestigious project was held during the Gwadar visit of Chief Minister Jam Kamal last week. The ceremony was also attended by Chief Secretary Dr Akhtar Nazeer and Secretary Energy Department Pasand Khan Buledi and other notable dignitaries.

The chief minister planted a tree at the project site to commemorate the green beginnings of the project, which is part of the Chief Minister’s initiative of contributing to environmental preservation. Eiwan Developments also contributed 2,000 plants.

Speaking on the occasion, Jam Kamal said the project marks the beginning of a new golden chapter in the development of Gwadar and Balochistan. He said the development of this region has been a key priority for his government, and it has been working tirelessly to make it happen.

“It gives me great pleasure today, to unveil this iconic state-of-the-art development project which will not only usher in a new era of growth and prosperity for the region, but it will most definitely help redefine the urban landscape of Pakistan.

“It is a testament to the progressive vision we share for this region under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and I congratulate everyone involved in this great achievement,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Balochistan Energy Company Limited CEO Pasand Khan Buledi said this is truly Pakistan’s first-ever smart development project.

“We are extremely proud to be associated with this infrastructure marvel which shall surely become a benchmark in environmental sustainability, within the country and outside. We are deliberately working on encouraging environmentally responsible and sustainable developments in this region,” he added

Eiwan Developments CEO Muhammad Faiz Kidwai highlighted the unique attributes of the project in his presentation. “It was a challenge for us to design something which would do justice to Gwadar’s future potential and prospects as the crown jewel of CPEC.”

He said Eiwan has announced the launching of a business Incubator center in Gwadar for the benefit of the youth of Gwadar. CM appreciated the contribution of Eiwan for the locals of Gwadar.

A step towards the future of living, this state-of-the-art mixed commercial development is designed to be Pakistan’s first smart development. The development will use a host of smart technologies, including bioclimatic architecture, eco-friendly construction, alternate green energy provision, automated building management systems, waste treatment, and other environment-friendly features.

These technologies will help minimise the overall carbon footprint of the development, ensuring longer-term sustainability and providing a clean, green environment to its inhabitants and surroundings. The project is duly endorsed by Balochistan Energy Company Limited.

Tax holiday brings #Pakistan #Gwadar Port at par with Duty Free #Dubai, #Singapore. After new tax exemptions, raw materials can be imported into Gwadar duty-free
Experts say Gwadar will have edge over other regional free ports due to lower #labor costs
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1548496#.XW9EEo-Z7tM.twitter

As Pakistan moves to declare its deep-sea port of Gwadar a duty-free zone along the lines of the Dubai and Singapore models, officials and shipping gurus rule out any direct competition with regional free ports, but say those setting up industries will have most to gain from the tax exemption.
For well over a decade, Pakistan’s government has dreamed of transforming the small, strategically located fishing port of Gwadar in southwestern Balochistan province into Pakistan’s Dubai, with a duty-free port and free economic zone.
“The exemption will be exactly on the paradigm of Dubai free port or Singapore,” Mahmood Moulvi, adviser to the maritime affairs ministry, told Arab News. 
Finally, on Wednesday, the government body responsible for finalizing executive economic decisions, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), approved a proposal for amendments to various laws that would provide exemptions from income tax, sales tax and custom duties to the Gwadar port for 20 years- until 2039. 
The proposal was submitted by Pakistan’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and sought changes in the country’s tax laws in line with the concession agreement between the Gwadar Port Authority and China Overseas Ports Holding Company Pakistan.
“Those who will set up industries in Gwadar will have the major advantage,” he said.
The ECC now seeks legal cover for the amendments, and has asked Pakistan’s law ministry for a legal way out.
The aim is for Gwadar – located on the Arabian Sea near Iran and the mouth of the Arabian Gulf – to become a regional commercial, industrial and shipping hub, as part of the ambitious $61 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Officials now hope that business activities in Gwadar will pick up from next year. 
“The extent of growth will be gauged when operations start,” Moulvi said, and added, “Growth momentum will pick up after the current economic slowdown, which is a global phenomena.”
As it currently stands, a one-time import of duty-free machinery is allowed into the port, but after the newly approved tax exemptions, raw material can also be imported free of tax.
“As long as they are not selling in Pakistan, it is a good idea,” Aasim Siddiqui, Chairman of the All Pakistan Shipping Association told Arab News. 
“The intention of the current government is to allow raw material free of duty...on the style of Dubai’s free port. In the Gwadar Free Zone, there will be no tax on processing,” he said.
Siddiqui, who is also a member of Pakistan’s Board of Investment, said the move would lure investment and create jobs in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s) which currently suffer from low investment.
On Saturday, Pakistan and China agreed to fast-track the pace of their industrial cooperation under the CPEC by utilising Chinese experience to ensure the speedy development of SEZs in the country.
“If duty and taxes (in SEZs) are the same as everywhere else in Pakistan, then why would someone invest in the SEZs?” he said.
So far however, the Dubai-Gwadar comparison was far too premature, Siddiqui said, with Gwadar’s current infrastructure barely supportive of “a single factory.” 
But if the Pakistani port was developed as a manufacturing base, he added, Gwadar would have an important advantage over other regional free ports: cheap and available labor.
“If you want to set up manufacturing industry in Pakistan, you will have labor availability here because Pakistani labor goes to Dubai, Oman and other gulf countries” Siddiqui said.
“They (other countries) have stringent labor laws and higher costs. The manufacturing cost would be lowest in Pakistan, that is for sure,” he said. 

#China Vows to Make Coastal #Pakistani City of #Gwadar an #Economic Hub, Says it Will Create 47,000 Jobs in Next 7 years. #CPEC https://www.news18.com/news/world/china-vows-to-make-coastal-pakist...

The statement by China Overseas Ports Holding Company came as Pakistan government stamped a 23-year income tax holiday and exemptions on sales tax and customs duties for the setting up of the Gwadar Free Zone.

It (issuing of ordinance) is a turning point for Pakistan's economy and now billions of dollars will be invested in Gwadar, Zhang told the media persons. Currently, Karachi remained the single largest contributor to the national economic output.

Gwadar port is one of the focal points of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China is investing heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC. The CPEC, launched in 2015, is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea. India has raised objection over the CPEC as it passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The COPHC and its four subsidiaries are responsible for operating the seaport and its economic zones for a period of 23 years. The concessions had been guaranteed in the Gwadar Port Concession Agreement but the successive governments were not notifying them. However, President Arif Alvi on Monday promulgated two ordinances to set up China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority and Tax Laws Amendment Ordinance 2019.

I believe Gwadar will be the largest contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) growth in seven years, said the chairman, adding that 95 per cent of the production in the Gwadar Free Zone would be exported.

We have completed the master plan of the Gwadar Free Zone that will be built in four phases over a period of seven years, said Zhang. Once the zone is fully developed in seven years, 47,000 jobs will be created for the locals, and its annual sales will be USD 1 billion," the COPHC chairman said.

On the troubles faced in reaching this point, the COPHC chairman said, Today is a big day and I had to struggle for seven years to secure these tax concessions, which had been promised in the Gwadar Port Concession Agreement. I had been running up and down for seven years and everybody made promises with me but nobody helped.

COPHC got the support of the National Development Council a joint civilian and military body upon whose directions the obstacles were removed in obtaining these concessions. So far, 41 investors have come forward to invest about USD 500 million in Gwadar Free Zone in the first phase, said the port operator. These industries are being set up in sectors of logistics, edible oil, piping, and halal food.

He said the USD 500 million investment would create 5,000 jobs for the locals in phase one alone, adding that the free zone developer had made it binding for the investors to complete the physical infrastructure in six months and start production within one year.

The port operator said that in order to promote advanced technology-based industries in the Gwadar Free Zone, the developer might offer free plots, cheap financing, and free housing facilities to such investors.

#Pakistan plans to invest $10 billion in artificial islands off #Gwadar. Will be "tax free” and “weapon-free”. Will include a $5bn #investment in 15 #power plants, a $1 billion #desalination plant and Pakistan’s tallest building. Also 15,800 homes by 2025. http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/pakistan-plans-invest-...

Pakistan is to invest $10bn in building islands off the port of Gwadar in the shape of the moon and star of the country’s flag, the Daily Times newspaper reports.
The project, which is being taken forward by Islamabad in conjunction with the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), will be part of the transformation of Gwadar set out in a 75-page masterplan prepared by CCCC in conjunction with Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform and the Gwadar Development Authority.

The strategic aim is to create an engine of trade and economic development at the southern end of the $62bn China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The document sets a target of achieving a $30bn powerhouse and creating 1.2 million skilled jobs.

The masterplan envisages the creation of 15,800 homes by 2025, 47,600 by 2030 and 254,500 by 2050, allowing the population to increase from 138,000 in the 2017 census to about 2 million.

That population will have access to a range of amenities, including a theme park, museums, a theatre, a concert hall, an exhibition centre, as well as hotels, shopping centres and offices.

New infrastructure will include a $5bn investment in 15 power plants, a $1bn desalination plant and Pakistan’s tallest building.

The new district will also be Pakistan’s first “tax free” and “weapon-free” city, a ban that will be enforced by widespread CCTV systems, vehicle management, urban video and alarm networks.

Amanullah Yasinzai, the governor of Baluchistan, said: “This project will be a game-changer for the people in the region. It will bring a lot of development and significantly raise the standard of living of the people of Gwadar. I am hopeful that this project will bring huge employment opportunities for the youth of Baluchistan.”

$230 million mega airport be a harbinger of #Gwadar development. #PM #ImranKhan has vowed that his government would complete the #CPEC project as per plan at any cost, adding the project was a sign of all-weather friendship between #Pakistan & #China. https://www.brecorder.com/news/40002897

Chairman China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, Lieutenant General (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa has said that the under-construction mega airport at Gwadar will be a harbinger of development of Gwadar city and Gwadar Port.

“Gwadar International Airport construction in progress,” said Bajwa in a tweet on Saturday, while sharing pictures of the project. “We reaffirm our commitment to launching and completing all projects in Gwadar in line with PM’s directive,” he added.

Bajwa informed that the project under construction cost about $230 million.

The Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday vowed that the federal government would complete the CPEC project as per plan at any cost, adding the project was a sign of all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China. He added that every Pakistani would be benefitted from the mega project.

He directed concerned officials to further enhance the performance and capacity of the CPEC Authority for the early completion of the ongoing projects.

PM Khan expressed satisfaction over the performance of CPEC Authority and said the economic corridor was a best plan to bring socio-economic development which also assured the bright future of Pakistan.

#Dubai-like modern city to be developed over 100,000 acres near #Lahore, #Pakistan along #Ravi. Private sector investment of Rs5 trillion expected to resolve traffic congestion, water shortage and environmental pollution in Lahore – a city of 11 million. https://gn24.ae/a26c4f0931fd000

The Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province has a grand vision for the development of the province as he plans to build a “Dubai-like” modern city near Lahore.

Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan headed a meeting of Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project (RRUDP) in Lahore and directed Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to prepare an integrated plan to meet the challenges of clean drinking water and unplanned construction.

Last year, PM Imran Khan sharing his new vision for future urban development, encouraged vertical construction to “allow for more green spaces as Pakistan is one of the most environmentally-threatened countries”. He also argued that “arable land is being eaten up by housing societies and has grave consequences for our food security in the future” which is why it is significant to allow buildings “to go as high as in other cities across the world” keeping in view international safety standards.

What environmentalists say?
Dr. Masoud Arshad, Senior Director, Water, Food and Climate at WWF-Pakistan, fears the new project along the River Ravi, could “put additional pressure on the existing natural resources and lead to shortage of underground water resources in near future”. He encouraged policymakers to focus on sustainable development. “We should study and implement the ‘Room for River approach’ as “the floodplain of the River Ravi should be kept intact to address the issues of floods (impacts of climate change) and to recharge our lost aquifers” he told Gulf News.

Ravi Riverfront Urban Development project
The project was originally envisioned in 2013 and Meinhardt (Pakistan) – part of global consultancy firm working in the country since 1992 – was hired to lead the consortium to conduct the feasibility study. “The environmental and social impact assessment highlighted the positive impacts of the project such as economic uplifting of the region and country, improved quality of life, socioeconomic and lifestyle enhancement, ecological uplifting of River Ravi, sustainable lifestyle, tourism and flood protection” according to Meinhardt Group. Some of the negative impacts, according to the firm, include loss of agricultural lands of about 76,684 acres and impact on almost 65 settlements that include a population of 80,000, but “these are expected to be temporary in nature and can be mitigated.” The group suggested a public-private-partnership model for project implementation and management.

Rehabilitate the Ravi River
The project of the new city to be built on the banks of the Ravi River proposed to rehabilitate and develop the dying River Ravi into a perennial freshwater body. To make Ravi riverfront urban development successful and sustainable, it was suggested that careful measures should be undertaken “to maintain the river’s water flow at a certain level, alleviate flooding and improve the river water quality through river training construction of barrages, weirs and water bodies to temporarily store excess surface water, and the introduction of wastewater treatment” to prevent the discharge of raw wastewater into the Ravi River.

Pakistan’s Gwadar loses lustre as Saudis shift $10bn deal to Karachi

https://www.ft.com/content/88cfe78b-517f-41d9-97d1-9f7f540f517c


Saudi Arabia has decided to shift a proposed $10bn oil refinery to Karachi from Gwadar, the centre stage of the Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan, further supporting the impression that the port city is losing its importance as a mega-investment hub. On June 2, Tabish Gauhar, the special assistant to Pakistan’s prime minister on power and petroleum, said that Saudi Arabia would not build the refinery at Gwadar but would construct it along with a petrochemical complex somewhere near Karachi. He added that in the next five years another refinery with a capacity of more than 200,000 barrels a day could be built in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding to invest $10bn in an oil refinery and petrochemical complex at Gwadar in February 2019, during a visit by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman to Pakistan. At the time, Islamabad was struggling with declining foreign exchange reserves.


The decision to shift the project to Karachi highlights the infrastructural deficiencies in Gwadar.

A Pakistani official in the petroleum sector told Nikkei Asia on condition of anonymity that a mega oil refinery in Gwadar was never feasible. “Gwadar can only be a feasible location of an oil refinery if a 600km oil pipeline is built connecting it with Karachi, the centre of oil supply of the country,” the official said. There is currently an oil pipeline from Karachi to the north of Pakistan, but not to the east.


“Without a pipeline, the transport of refined oil from Gwadar [via road in oil tankers] to consumption centres in the country will be very expensive,” the official said. He added that at the current pace of development he did not see Gwadar’s infrastructure issues being resolved in the next 15 years.

The official also hinted that Pakistan’s negotiations with Russia for investment in the energy sector might have been a factor in the Saudi decision. In February 2019, a Russian delegation, headed by Gazprom deputy chair Vitaly A Markelov, agreed to invest $14bn in different energy projects including pipelines. So far these pledges have not materialised, but Moscow’s undertaking provided Pakistan with an alternative to the Saudis, which probably irritated Riyadh.

Arif Rafiq, president of Vizier Consulting, a New York-based political risk firm, told Nikkei that a Saudi-commissioned feasibility study on a refinery and petrochemicals complex in Gwadar advised against it. “Saudi interest has shifted closer to Karachi, which makes sense, given its proximity to areas of high demand and existing logistics networks,” he added.

Rafiq, who is also a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, considers this decision by the Saudis as a setback for Gwadar, the crown jewel of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the $50bn Pakistan component of the Belt and Road.

The Saudi decision “is a setback for Pakistan’s plans for Gwadar to emerge as an energy and industrial hub. Pakistan has struggled to find a viable economic growth strategy for Gwadar,” he said. Any progress in Gwadar in the coming decade or two will be slow and incremental, he added.

Local politicians consider the shifting of the oil refinery a huge loss for economic development in Gwadar. Aslam Bhootani, the National Assembly of Pakistan member representing Gwadar, said the move is a loss not only for Gwadar but for all of the southwestern province of Balochistan. He said he would urge the Petroleum Ministry of Pakistan to ask the Saudis to reconsider their decision.


The decision has shattered the image of Gwadar as an up-and-coming major commercial hub. In February 2020, the Gwadar Smart Port City Masterplan was unveiled, forecasting that the city’s economy would surpass $30bn by 2050 and add 1.2m jobs. Local officials started calling Gwadar the future “Singapore of Pakistan”.

Pakistan’s key CPEC port a long way from trade hub vision
Despite serious efforts to build and promote Gwadar as a global trade centre, business is scarce in the port city. A field report reveals that a lack of infrastructure hampers development and construction of a major road has left fishers worse off.

https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/regional-cooperation/pakistan-gwada...


Unlike Karachi and Qasim ports (also in Karachi), whose infrastructure expanded as they became major global freight hubs, little development had happened in Gwadar before the CPEC project’s launch in 2013.

-----------------------------

There are big plans for Pakistan’s southern coastal city of Gwadar. Pakistan and China are making a considerable effort – and pledging close to USD 700 million in investment – to transform what was once a sleepy fishing town into a vibrant trade hub, complete with a seaport, airport, major road connections and a trade zone. But the pace of development is slow, and business even slower.

“[It] must be because they [the developers] do not have the blessings of the people of Gwadar,” said Abdul Rasheed Isa, a fisher of the Khulgari Ward settlement in the port city.

A visit in April this year revealed that the only real activity at Gwadar port was undertaken by two small crabs, which had made a gargantuan effort to haul themselves up from the crystal-clear water of the Arabian Sea onto the dock. The towering blue and red cranes, brought there to load and unload shipping containers, were still.

The port is the crown jewel of the USD 62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which connects China’s western Xinjiang province to the Arabian Sea. It is where both countries hope the logistics of incoming and outgoing cargo will be handled for an international market.


The Gwadar port dream started in 2013, when a little-known state-owned company, the China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), acquired the port for 40 years on behalf of Pakistan. About 90% of the port’s revenue is contracted to go to the Chinese company.

On paper, the port’s potential is promising. At present, it has space to berth two or three large ships with a capacity of 50,000 deadweight tonnage. By 2045, it is expected to berth 150 ships and hold up to 400 million tonnes of cargo. According to the Pakistani government, a functional Gwadar port, the country’s third deep sea port, will meet the “increasing demand for trade” that the existing Karachi and Qasim ports are “unlikely to keep pace with” on their own.

Though parts of Gwadar have had a visible facelift, the lives of its 265,000 residents, the majority of whom are poor fishers, have barely improved. In some cases, the construction of these projects has added to their problems. Most struggle with access to basic necessities such as electricity and have limited options for education.

Slow business coupled with delays to major CPEC projects in Gwadar – such as the main expressway road, coal power station and new airport – could mean that their lives are unlikely to improve any time soon.

Naseer Khan Kashani, the chair of the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), which oversees construction and maintenance, outlined the problem with a frank admission.

Despite Gwadar’s “strategic positioning” as one of the “best deep sea ports” at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, which facilitates the movement of “one-third of global oil every year”, he said the port has failed to bring business.

“It is ready for anyone to use. It’s up to investors and traders to use it to do profitable business. We cannot trade for them,” said Kashani, adding that the creation of demand is “up to the market forces”. Incentives such as competitive handling charges, improved security and safety of cargo at the port and also during transport, speedy customs clearance and free storage for up to three months have failed to beckon traders.

China to invest $15 billion in petrochemical industry at Pakistan's Arabian Sea port

https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1931571/pakistan

#China to invest $15 billion in #petrochemical industry at #Pakistan #Gwadar port. #CPEC has seen #Beijing pledge over $60 billion for #energy & #infrastructure projects in Pakistan, central to China’s (BRI) to develop land & sea trade routes globally

Investment would include a power pipeline project from Gwadar port to western China
Pakistan said last month it is formulating a strategy to improve the security of Chinese companies operating in the country

“Chinese companies would invest in the petrochemical sector in Gwadar, including the project of energy pipeline from Gwadar to China,” Board of Investment (BOI) secretary Fareena Mazhar told the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.
She added that talks related to the projects were underway, as BOI is working on 50 reforms to create a conducive investment environment and improve the ease of doing business in Pakistan.
Chinese business leaders met Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad last week and reposed their confidence in Pakistan’s “policy support and security,” months after a blast killed nine Chinese nationals working on a CPEC project in northwestern Pakistan.
In a statement after the meeting, Khan’s office said he would hold monthly meetings to “review progress regarding issues faced by Chinese investors.”
Last month, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced Pakistan was formulating a strategy to improve the security of Chinese nationals and companies operating in the country.
CPEC has seen Beijing’s pledge over $60 billion for energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan, central to China’s wider Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to develop land and sea trade routes in Asia and beyond.

Pakistan and China unveil ambitious plan to develop Karachi coast

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and-Road/Pakistan-and-China-...


KARACHI -- In an ambitious turn, Pakistan and China have agreed to develop the Karachi coast, possibly shifting away from Gwadar as the center stage of the Belt and Road project in Pakistan, following ongoing problems at the southwestern province of Balochistan.

A memorandum of understanding was signed for the Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone project during the recently held 10th Joint Cooperation Committee meeting of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, after a gap of almost two years.

Based on details shared by Pakistan, China will invest $3.5 billion, separately confirmed by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, in the project which includes adding new berths to Karachi port, developing a new fisheries port and a 640-hectare trade zone on the western backwater marshland of the Karachi Port Trust. The project also envisages building a harbor bridge connecting the port with the nearby Manora islands.

----------------------------------

The writing was already on the wall for some. In June, Saudi Arabia decided to shift a proposed $10-billion oil refinery to Karachi from Gwadar. This was a major shock to the government's plans of building an energy hub in Gwadar, which is facing massive protests due to lack of water and power.

Now, Gwadar stands to lose even more foreign investment. Karachi is the largest city and the main commercial hub of Pakistan and also home to the busiest port.

Malik Siraj Akbar, a South Asia analyst based in Washington, believes that Karachi offers not only better infrastructure, but also tighter law and order, making it an ideal hub for CPEC. "The Chinese want CPEC to leave its mark as a symbol of rising Chinese power without particular interests in any specific region in Pakistan," he said.

Krzysztof Iwanek, head of the Asia Research Center at Warsaw's War Studies University, said that the challenges of developing a major port in an underdeveloped area like Gwadar must have been factored in by China from the outset.

"[I]t may be assumed that Chinese involvement in Gwadar may be at least partially strategic. Karachi, in turn, is Pakistan's most important port, and, hence, Chinese involvement there may be of purely economic nature," Iwanek said.



Despite the signing of the agreement and expression of commitment from the Chinese side, analysts fear that implementation will be difficult.

Iwanek believes that Belt and Road projects are under scrutiny in China, as funds are no longer distributed so liberally as loans and there is a focus on more feasible projects. He suggested that it will not be easy for Pakistan to draw investments or loans for this project because China is lending with a greater focus on "pragmatism" now.

Arif Rafiq, president of Vizier Consulting, a New York-based political risk assessment firm, shares that view and said that the project had a long way to go.

"Feasibility studies, including on the environmental impact, need to be conducted. The dredging will destroy existing mangroves, which serve as a vital, natural defense against storms and erosion," he said. He claimed that as many as 500,000 people will have to be resettled, which will be a politically contentious process.

Gwadar's sudden fall from grace has implications for wider Belt and Road enterprises. Analysts said that the way Pakistan and China are dealing with Gwadar implies that any problematic project of Belt and Road, irrespective of its potential, can either be dropped or put on the back burner.

"Pakistan and China had an opportunity to develop [Gwadar] port in a conflict zone but several factors, such as corruption, mismanagement, lack of public support and transparency, have led to a loss of interest in the Gwadar Port," said Malik, as he warned that other problematic Belt and Road projects could face the same fate.

Pakistan's Gwadar Port Protests Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Islamabad

by Arif Rafiq

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/14/pakistan-gwadar-port-protests-...


Rather than transforming this isolated Pakistani city, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has only created great expectations and even greater disappointment. Ultimately, the responsibility for this failure lies on the Pakistani state, which adopted a fundamentally flawed strategy ill-suited for Gwadar, built on a series of assumptions that have been proven to be incorrect.

For starters, Pakistan assumed that Gwadar was absolutely vital to Chinese interests, especially in helping Beijing overcome its reliance on energy imported via the Malacca Strait. But as a 2020 U.S. Naval War College study makes clear, Chinese analysts generally see a Pakistan-based overland energy pipeline to Xinjiang as economically unviable. And there is even some pushback in China’s strategic community on whether it really faces a “Malacca dilemma.”

These perspectives rarely make it into Pakistan’s domestic discourse on China. One reason for this is that Pakistan lacks independent China experts, despite its close strategic partnership with China. Most Pakistani commentators—some of whom are paid by Beijing—stick to the official script. It’s no wonder Pakistani officials are then left blindsided when Beijing’s policy priorities and risk appetite shift.

A second reason: Pakistan—like Djibouti, Kenya, and Sri Lanka—assumed that China’s Shenzhen or Shekou model is not only replicable but also plug and play. This discounts the fundamentally different natures of the Chinese and Pakistani states. China is an authoritarian, hierarchical, developmental state. Pakistan is a semi-democratic, disaggregated rentier state marred by criminality and incompetence from the top down.

The Pakistani state simply lacks the will to create value in the global economy. It is largely focused on extracting from its populace and foreign donors. And it dithers on any sort of policy reform. In the case of Gwadar, it took years for Islamabad to simply pass into law tax exemptions for the port and free zone that are key to attracting foreign direct investment there.

Third, Pakistan’s trickle-down strategy for Gwadar is inappropriate for Balochistan. To begin with, there’s been little economic growth in Gwadar to actually trickle down to locals. And the province, which is Pakistan’s poorest but also home to its oldest and largest natural gas field, has been hit by multiple secessionist insurgencies since Pakistan’s founding, driven in part by resource nationalism. Separatist terrorist groups have also targeted Pakistani nationals from other provinces, including teachers, deemed as “settlers.”

But insensitive claims of an imminent influx of Chinese nationals, including by a luxury real estate developer in 2017, intensified Baloch fears they would be displaced by outside capital and labor in Gwadar. Those specific fears may be unfounded. But instead of an influx of foreign residents, Gwadar is seeing a surge in fishing trawlers from the neighboring Sindh province and China, whose massive hauls are destroying local incomes.

The original plan for Gwadar under CPEC did contain some admirable social sector projects. For example, China has funded the expansion of a middle school and established an emergency medical center in Gwadar. But these are just drops in the bucket for an area with a population close to 100,000 in 2017. Major projects—including a vocational training center, medical hospital, and desalination plant—have either been delayed, scaled down, or dropped. Given Balochistan’s fraught history with Pakistan’s central government, Islamabad should have front-loaded projects that would have provided basic services, especially clean water.

Pakistan's Gwadar Port Protests Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Islamabad

by Arif Rafiq

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/12/14/pakistan-gwadar-port-protests-...

Fourth, Islamabad structured its plans for Gwadar based on an incorrect assessment of the city’s natural advantages. It has envisioned Gwadar as a “gateway port” serving the hinterland of Pakistan, Afghanistan, other countries in Central Asia, and Xinjiang. But given its isolated location, Gwadar stacks up poorly in terms of cost and efficiency when compared to regional competitors, including Pakistan’s own Karachi and Qasim ports.

The Gwadar port, however, can be dredged to a depth of 20 meters, making it a potentially viable location for transshipment—allowing very large, cost-efficient vessels to offload cargo to be loaded on to smaller ships servicing shallower regional ports. Indeed, the consulting firm that developed the original master plan for the port assessed that transit trade with the Central Asian republics via Gwadar had “little potential” but that there were decent prospects in the longer term for transshipment.

Finally, Pakistan’s top-down political model in Gwadar doesn’t work. Protests in 2018 by fishermen against an expressway that cut off their access to the sea made clear that locals were afterthoughts in the design of key infrastructure projects. Gwadar’s fishermen once again taking to the streets indicates a failure of the political process to address their needs. They simply do not trust the government.



Last week, in a Twitter Spaces discussion, Balochistan Provincial Minister Zahoor Buledi noted that he had held five or six meetings with protest leader Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch of the Jamaat-e-Islami party. But the maulana (an honorific given to Islamic clerics) and other participants in the session felt promises made to them would not be fulfilled once the protests stopped and media cameras went away and suggested that some corrupt officials were acting in connivance with various “mafias.”

The reflex of the Pakistani state—particularly in Balochistan, where enforced disappearances by security forces are rampant—is to respond to large-scale protests and unrest with intimidation and, sometimes, violent coercion. Given New Delhi’s hand in the Baloch insurgency, which has conducted high-profile attacks in Gwadar in recent years, the opportunistic, heavy coverage of the protests by state-aligned “private” Indian news outlets also triggers the anxieties of the Pakistani security services. But these protests are simply an organic reaction by Gwadar’s people to the endangerment of their livelihoods and the failure of their own state to respond to their basic needs.

The cries of Gwadar protestors should serve as a wake-up call for Islamabad. While terrorist attacks, including a 2019 assault on Gwadar’s only major hotel, serve to deter foreign investment, a heavy security crackdown will only further alienate locals and compound the problem. Islamabad needs to break out of the cycle of violence by developing a new strategy to win the peace in Balochistan.

That strategy should include several specific elements. For one, Islamabad and the Balochistan provincial government need to develop a political framework to include locals in the developmental design process, city governance, and security services. They should also fast-track large-scale desalination projects to better address local water demand. The current water strategy centers on dams—an unreliable source of water for an area hit by drought.

To counter Baloch fears of resource plundering, CPEC needs a strong redistributive policy for southern Balochistan. Islamabad and the provincial Balochistan government in Quetta city should create a wealth fund for natives of Gwadar and the Makran coastal region, providing them with an annual basic income sourced from royalties on energy and mining industries and taxes on luxury real estate and tourism.

Gwadar airport to be operational by December
$246 million greenfield Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) being built at an area of 4,300 acres

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2360858/gwadar-airport-to-be-operation...


QUETTA:
The test flight from new Gwadar International Airport would be started from December this year as the construction work on site has been expedited, an official of Gwadar Development Authority said on Thursday.

The new $246 million greenfield Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) being built at an area of 4,300 acres would be made operational before the deadline which was September 2023, the official said.

The government has also expanded the 50-bed Pak-China Friendship Hospital Gwadar to 150 beds state-of-the-art medical centre in order to ensure best health care facilities for the people of Gwadar.

The authority would ensure state-of-the-art free medical facility to the inhabitants of the port city of Gwadar from January next year, he said.

The officials were making all-out efforts to expedite the infrastructure and development projects for its timely completion.

The GDA said the authority has expedited the implementation of old town rehabilitation plan of Gawadar to provide best infrastructure and provide every facility to the masses of the port city. With the support of federal government, the project worth Rs3.3 billion for old town rehabilitation of Gwadar was in full swing to develop the city on modern lines to end the sense of deprivation among the people of the area, he addd.

The federal government would be funding 67 per cent of the total cost while Balochistan government would bear the remaining cost for the old town rehabilitation under the Gwadar development plan.

Under the plan, water drainage, supply and distribution of utility projects would be completed soon, besides ensuring the supply of clean drinking water to the dwellers.

The official said the water supply issue in Gwadar would be resolved in the short period of three months as desalination plant is also in progress to cater to the need of whole city.

The authorities have been directed to strictly adhere to Gwadar Master Plan while carrying out development and other public welfare projects in the city.

The 19.49-km expressway inaugurated on Friday is aimed to meet the urgent need of the locals and promote sustainable development in Pakistan's Gwadar.


https://english.news.cn/20220605/702d5b891f1147cdb95b088673ecf2f1/c...



GWADAR, Pakistan, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The inauguration ceremony of the China-aided Eastbay Expressway of Gwadar port was held on Friday in Gwadar city of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province.

As an important early harvest project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the 19.49-km expressway was officially started in 2017 by the China Communications Construction Company, with an aim to meet the urgent need of the locals in Gwadar and promote the sustainable development of the area.

Addressing the ceremony, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif thanked China for the grant and said that China has built a very high-quality expressway which links the port to the coastal highway ahead.

It will enhance connectivity and help the transportation of goods from the port all the way to the country's southern port city of Karachi in the future, said the prime minister.

"Pakistan is determined to speed up the development of Gwadar," Sharif said, adding that China has donated solar panels to thousands of families in Gwadar, aided the construction of a hospital and other livelihood infrastructures, and will fund a desalination plant.

On the same occasion, Pang Chunxue, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy to Pakistan, said China attaches great importance to people's livelihood in Gwadar, and is willing to continue promoting the development of Gwadar's healthcare, education, vocational and technical personnel training and other livelihood fields.

Pang said the construction of the expressway aims to benefit the local people, and the concerns of local fishermen were fully considered in the design and construction.

China will strive to continue to help solve local people's problems such as shortage of electricity and fresh water, and promote the construction of a smart, green and modern Gwadar Port, so that local people can share the high-quality development of the CPEC, Pang said.

"It is our joint efforts that ensured the successful delivery of this CPEC project in Gwadar."

"When the New Gwadar International Airport is completed in the future, it will work with the Eastbay Expressway to promote Gwadar as a regional transportation hub and create a better life for the local people," Pang added. ■

New Gwadar International Airport is a Class 4F airport. It is only the second greenfield airport in Pakistan.

https://youtu.be/6VBF1uIkDx8

The airport's 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F... are the flight zone levels, which are represented by numbers + letters. The number indicates the length of the runway, and "4" indicates 1800 meters or more. The letters indicate the wingspan and wheelbase of the aircraft that can take off and land, from A to F, the larger it becomes.


------------------

Karachi Airport Certified for Aircraft Operation up to Aerodrome Reference Code 4E

---------------------------

Islamabad Airport has been certified for aircraft operation up to aerodrome reference code 4F that allows Airbus A380 flight operations.


The purpose of this AIRAC AIP Supplement is to notify the aviation industry of the aeronautical
ground facilities, navigational equipment and services that are available at Islamabad Int’l airport for
aerodrome reference code 4F Cargo / Commercial Operations. The airport is located at a distance of
14.08NM from Islamabad city.


https://caapakistan.com.pk/Upload/AIS/AIRAC%20AIP%20Supplement%20S-06(18).pdf

NHA awards contract for construction of last section of CPEC’s M-8 Motorway--China Economic Net


http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202206/14/t20220614_37755846.shtml

Islamabad, June 14 (Gwadar Pro) - The National Highway Authority (NHA) on Monday awarded an Rs 8 billion contract for the construction of 168 kilometres long-missing link in the M-8 Motorway of the central alignment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative.

The 250 kilometres Ratodero-Khuzdar and 193 kilometres Gwadar-Hoshab sections of the M-8 Motorway are operational. Similarly, work on 146 kilometres long Hoshab-Awaran section is also underway at a cost of Rs9.12 billion. The contract for the last missing link between Awaran and Naal (near Khuzdar) has been awarded to a joint venture of Habib Construction Services and Matracon Pakistan for Rs 8.08 billion.

After completion of this section, Islamabad, Peshawar and Lahore will be connected with the Gwadar Port through the shortest route, NHA said. It will also mark the completion of the first-ever access-controlled link between the Gwadar Port and northern parts of the country.

The M-8 Motorway starts from Ratodero in Sindh and culminates at the Gwadar Port, passing from Khuzdar, Awaran, Hoshab and Turbat areas of Balochistan.

The east-west motorway will link Sukkur, Sindh with Gwadar. Pakistan has already completed a network of access-controlled roads from Peshawar and Islamabad up to Sukkur.

Key Highlights 

Key Highlights 

For a greener and richer Gwadar: B&R Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest Center

http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202206/15/t20220615_37760375.shtml

GWADAR, Jun. 15 (Gwadar Pro) – “In the eyes of outsiders, high temperature and scorching sun may be a disadvantage of Gwadar, but in our view, the light and heat conditions here are a natural advantage for the development of agriculture and non-wood forest”, noted Zhang Saiyang, vice director of the Belt and Road Engineering Research Center for Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest and doctoral candidate of Central South University of forestry and technology, in an exclusive interview with Gwadar Pro.

The Belt and Road Engineering Research Center for Tropical Arid Non-wood Forest was jointly initiated and established by Central South University of forestry and technology, China Overseas Ports Holdings Co., Ltd. and Yulin Holdings Co., Ltd. for Gwadar ecological construction and industrial development. Since 2018, it has systematically improved the local soil conditions in Gwadar. Zhang told Gwadar Pro that the Chinese team combined the organic fertilizer collected from local sheep farm and leaves and other humus to mix with local soil in a certain proportion to improve the fertility and pH of the local soil. Besides, the local soil conditions were greatly improved by the team members planting legumes to use the nitrogen fixation of legume rhizobia.

“In addition to the soil, moisture is our long-term focus as well. With arid climate here, the irrigation method appears to be particularly important,” Zhang said, “after enhancing the soil water retention capacity through soil improvement, we mainly use a combination of sprinkling irrigation and drip irrigation to maximize water conservation. Not to mention that our selected varieties are drought tolerant crop with very developed root systems.”

By now, nearly 100,000 seedlings such as bananas, dates, orchid and figs have been cultivated here. Among them, bananas (Musa nana) are selected local varieties that can adapt to drought and high temperature and produce a large amount of fruit. In May, the center successfully held the first non-wood forest products-banana harvest festival in Gwadar Port. “Our production of bananas has attracted the attention of local farmers, who hope to buy banana seedlings to grow on their own land,” Zhang mentioned.

Moreover, figs are also a key economic crop here. Hundreds of fig seedlings have already produced a lot of fruit in just one month. More than 10 hours of sufficient sunlight per day and the temperature difference between day and night in the Gwadar region allow figs, a drought-tolerant and light-loving plant, to accumulate more sugar. According to the promotion plan, the fresh and dried figs launched by the center will have a place in the market.

“In addition to bananas and figs, which are familiar to Chinese people, the endemic crops of Pakistan, including Sesbania grandiflora and Ziziphus spina-christi, can also give full play to their economic value through our breeding techniques,” Zhang listed the local valuable economic crops one by one, “the leguminous plant Sesbania grandiflora is resistant to high temperature and drought, and has a large amount of fruit. It is a very good tree species for ecological greening and economic forest. Its fruit, as a woody vegetable, has been widely promoted by us in Gwadar, and then sold in the market. The local unique Ziziphus spina-christi is also drought-tolerant and light-loving, which can bear fruit several times a year. The seedling breeding, fresh fruit sales and juice processing of it have also been put on the agenda.”

As for the future planning, Zhang Saiyang mentioned that the center has set up “Gwadar Classroom” to train local workers. Opened in March this year, it has trained the first batch of modern agricultural skilled workers in the local area, laying a solid foundation for the local development of agriculture and non-wood forest industry, as well as promoting farmers’ employment and using their own land to start businesses.

Oman offer to build Gwadar railway conjures Pakistan port's past - Nikkei Asia

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and-Road/Oman-offer-to-build...

ISLAMABAD -- A company from Oman is looking to invest in a train line that would link the Pakistani port town of Gwadar -- envisioned as a key stop on China's Belt and Road infrastructure network -- with Pakistan's main railway system.

The proposed multibillion-dollar project could go a long way toward resolving the seafront city's lack of rail connectivity. It also conjures up the past of Gwadar, which was part of Oman for 175 years. But at the same time, Pakistan's turbulent political situation is casting doubt on the prospects for pushing the plan forward and realizing the port's potential.

Earlier this month, officials from Anvwar Asian Investments, an Omani project financing firm, met with officials of Pakistan's Board of Investment and expressed interest in building a 1,087-kilometer railway between Gwadar and Jacobabad in central Pakistan. The investment would be worth $2.3 billion, and the Omani side says it is ready to provide an immediate tranche of $500 million as initial financing, according to the BOI.

Many see the plan as fitting, given the history that binds Gwadar with Oman -- about 450 km away, across the mouth of the Gulf of Oman.

In 1783, the ruler of what was then Kalat State -- now Balochistan -- gifted Gwadar to Oman's Taimur Sultan, a defeated prince on the run, who later mounted a comeback and reigned as sultan in Muscat. Gwadar remained part of Oman until roughly a decade after Pakistan's inception, when Islamabad purchased it in 1958 with British help.

Many of Gwadar's older residents still have Omani nationality as well.

Nasir Sohrabi, president of the Rural Community Development Council in Gwadar, said Oman has been the primary overseas destination for the people of Gwadar, even after the town became part of Pakistan. "Plenty of people from Gwadar live in Oman and do business or work as employees in many sectors, including the army," he told Nikkei Asia.

Oman is well-regarded among many locals. Sohrabi added that when Gwadar suffered severe power shortages in 2001, Oman's then-ruler, Sultan Qaboos, gave the city 45 power generators.

"This is one instance of the people of Gwadar having a special bond with Oman," Sohrabi said.

The railway investment offer, if it comes to fruition, would significantly ease access to Gwadar and its Chinese-built and operated port, part of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Despite being in the middle of BRI activity in Pakistan, no train lines run to Gwadar, and uncertainty shrouds plans for other railway upgrades under CPEC. Plans call for improving tracks between Peshawar and Karachi, the latter of which is about 600 km from Gwadar. But this project, known as Main Line-1 or ML-1, appears at risk of being shelved due to a disagreement on costs between Islamabad and Beijing, according to local reports in April.

"China wanted ML-1 to have a price tag of $9 billion, which Pakistan reduced to $6.8 billion," an official who deals with the planning of federal projects in Pakistan told Nikkei Asia on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorized to talk to the media.

The official added that Islamabad wants loans at a lower rate than what Beijing is prepared to offer.

Sohrabi stressed that Gwadar can never be a successful major port without a strong railway network.

"Currently, the cargo which is unloaded at Gwadar Port is transported by road to Karachi [and] from there it's shipped to other parts of the country via rail," he said. "If this is the case, then it makes more sense to unload cargo directly at Karachi Port instead of Gwadar."

Oman offer to build Gwadar railway conjures Pakistan port's past - Nikkei Asia

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and-Road/Oman-offer-to-build...


"Currently, the cargo which is unloaded at Gwadar Port is transported by road to Karachi [and] from there it's shipped to other parts of the country via rail," he said. "If this is the case, then it makes more sense to unload cargo directly at Karachi Port instead of Gwadar."

Some see the Omani offer to develop Gwadar's infrastructure as a quid pro quo effort to support CPEC. China is investing in an industrial park in Oman's Duqm, a port town about 1,000 km south of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane.

Yet, Oman's Anvwar Asian Investments is not the only one interested in building a railway link for Gwadar.

"A Singaporean company, Pathfinder, has expressed its interest to invest $5 billion to develop a high-speed rail network from Gwadar to Hub," a town in Balochistan, Saeed Ahmed Sarparah, chairman of the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade, told Nikkei. He added that the Singaporean offer is undergoing an assessment by the federal government.

Neither the Omani company nor the Singaporean one had responded to requests for comment as of publication time.

Some are skeptical about the chances of moving forward with such a high-stakes, long-term endeavor given the persistent political instability in Pakistan. The coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is locked in a power struggle with the man he replaced, Imran Khan, amid an economic crisis. Khan now faces terrorism charges. And investments in Balochistan, whether by China or a Canadian gold miner, have become targets of separatists.

Aslam Bhootani, a member of the National Assembly representing Gwadar, told Nikkei he was unaware of the rail investment offers as he had "not been taken into confidence yet."

But Bhootani said, "I do not see how Oman and Singaporean companies can benefit from investing in the rail network of Gwadar at such a turbulent time."

‘Gwadar to have university soon’

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1044324-gwadar-to-have-university-...

Islamabad : The great news for the youth of Gwadar is that 500 acres of land have been acquired for the establishment of the University of Gwadar, the ground-breaking ceremony of which is expected soon may this month or next one. Gwadar University will be affiliated with Shanghai Maritime University and a Maritime Centre of Excellence will also be built in it. Moreover, a lot of money is being allocated to the CPEC project for the development of Gwadar.

The largest development project spearheaded by China in Pakistan ever since 2015 is known as the game changer, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Quite fortunately, it started from Gwadar seaport, the deepest sea area in the world located on the Arabian Sea in the South of Gwadar District of Baluchistan. People of Pakistan, especially from the undeveloped province of Balochistan, had attached a lot of hope to it, rightfully so, because Chinese companies had begun the development work on Gwadar city and seaport as early as November 2016.

The development of Gwadar and Baluchistan, however, kick started serious problems for India and its lobbies in America and Iran. For this reason alone, their intelligence agencies planned to sabotage the CPEC project.

As per reports, there have been 12 attacks on officers and other personnel working on Chinese projects so far, in which many Chinese have been killed and injured. Among these attacks, the most notable were the bombing of the Quetta Serena Hotel that targeted the ambassador of China; the attack on the Dasu Dam in which more than six Chinese residents were killed, and the suicide bomb attack of a Baloch woman on the Chinese teachers of the Karachi University Confucius Centre.

The CPEC projects include the construction of 8,000 km of roads from the coastal area of Gwadar to connect the entire district with Balochistan and Sindh.

The most important issue in Gwadar is the electricity supply. So far, the electricity is supplied through the Iran-Turbat transmission line, which is 17 megawatts. However, the 100-MW power project from Iran will be completed this year. Rupees 50.2 billion have been spent on this project and 3,600 solar panels have been distributed to remote areas. As many as 10,000 more panels will be distributed. The 300-MW power plant coal project is to be completed by 2025. All this development work is being done by a Chinese company through CPEC projects.

The limited nature of water resources is another overwhelming issue in the area. Chinese company started work in this regards costing around Rs11 billion through which the issue is being expected to be resolved. The 100 per cent of funds have been allocated to the provincial government for border markets in Gabad, Mand and Chirhi. They will be connected to the M-8 Coastal Highway.

M-8 Section (Awaran) will connect Gwadar Port with the North through the Eastern, Central and Western alignments of CPEC. Gwadar will be connected to the North through the east, central and west alignments of CPEC routes. In the health sector, Pakistan China Friendship Hospital (PCFH) Gwadar, a 70-bed hospital, is functioning here in Gwadar. However, in phase 2, this hospital will be handed over to Indus Hospital and another 100 beds will be provided.

Besides this, as per reports, some 2,000 boat engines have been distributed to fishermen of Gwadar in December 2022. On the other hand, the illegal trawling of Sindh fishermen in Gwadar is a major controversy. However, after the 18th Amendment, this has become a provincial issue.

20 new projects in Gwadar on the way of completion during 2023: Report | Pakistan Today


https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/02/09/20-new-projects-in-gwad...

These projects entail desalination potable water plant, Gwadar Free Zone North (Phase 11), Gwadar Safe City Project, New Gwadar International Airport, three electricity projects, Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, Gwadar Tourism Project, New management model of Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute (PCT & VI), State of Art Shipyard Project, Oil Refinery project, Green Gwadar Project, Pak-China Friendship Hospital, fisher community projects, Gwadar Port dredging project, Export-oriented projects, Fishing industry, Warehouse industry, and Gwadar Huafa Exhibition and Trading Center.

According to the report, over the last 10 years since CPEC set its foot in 2013, Gwadar outlook is changing gradually and constructively, getting over daunting challenges including poverty, civic issues, water, electricity, employment, infrastructure, agriculture and on top of them blue economy.

In the past Gwadar was in shamble and disarray. Later in the course of 10 years, Gwadar has been making headway toward progress in a sustainable manner.

Many development projects have been completed so far including Gwadar Port, Gwadar Free Zone South (Phase I), Eastbay Expressway, Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute (PCT & VI), China-Pakistan Gwadar Faqeer Middle School, Fiber Optic, E-Custom system (WeBOC), Plant Tissue Culture Lab & Green House, livestock, women-led garment factory, Gwadar University and GDA-Indus Hospital.

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The city’s strategic location at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, coupled with its deep-sea port and modern infrastructure, makes it a hub for trade, transportation, and investment.

As a result, Gwadar is expected to attract a significant amount of foreign investment and economic activity in the coming years, emerging as a major contributor to Pakistan’s economic growth.

One of the most significant projects is the 1.2 Million Gallon Per Day (MGD) de-salination plant, expected to be fully operational by April 2023. This plant will provide a reliable source of clean drinking water to the residents of Gwadar.

In 2023, more than 4 lakhs of people of Gwadar are going to get rid of painful power woes as three electricity projects will power up Gwadar. The first project is about 100 MW Irani electricity from Gabd-Remdan (Pak-Iran border) to Jiwani Grid Station to Gwadar that will come on 1st March.

The second project is another 100 MW from Iran-Pangjur-Turban-Pasni to Gwadar that is going to be completed in current year. The third project is from Quetta, Nag-Besima section to Pangjur and then Turbat-Pasni to Gwadar.

Meanwhile 5 MW power supply will be available to Gwadar Free Zones North (Phase II). If all goes well, in the second step 12 MW power supply will be ensured for Gwadar Free Zone South (phase I) and Gwadar Port in coming months. Finally, the government also approved 300 MW coal-fired power project for Gwadar.

Another major project that is expected to pick more pace in 2023 is the development of the Gwadar Free Zone North (Phase II) spreading over 2,221 acres of land. Currently, export-based Chinese companies are very near building and running their factories in a few months.

The year of 2023 has also brought many fortunes for Gwadar’s fishermen regarding their livelihood to new housing schemes. The Balochistan Government has approved 200 acres of land for new fishermen housing colony for low-income fishmen of Gwadar.

Around Rs300 million has been allocated. Around 3,291 poor fishermen of Gwadar are going to get free of cost boat engines as the government has allocated funds of Rs823 million.

CPEC Results According to Wang Wenbin of China

https://twitter.com/bilalgilani/status/1677391745112477696?s=20

Bilal I Gilani
@bilalgilani
CPEC projects are creating 192,000 jobs, generating 6,000MW of power, building 510 km (316 miles) of highways, and expanding the national transmission network by 886 km (550 miles),” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters in Beijing."


Associated Press of Pakistan: On July 5, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif while addressing a ceremony to mark a decade of signing of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said that CPEC has been playing a key role in transforming Pakistan’s economic landscape. He also said that the mega project helped Pakistan progress in the region and beyond. What is your response?

Wang Wenbin: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a signature project of China-Pakistan cooperation in the new era, and an important project under the Belt and Road Initiative. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC. After ten years of development, a “1+4” cooperation layout has been formed, with the CPEC at the center and Gwadar Port, transport infrastructure, energy and industrial cooperation being the four key areas. Projects under CPEC are flourishing all across Pakistan, attracting USD 25.4 billion of direct investment, creating 192,000 jobs, producing 6,000 megawatts of electric power, building 510 kilometers of highways and adding 886 kilometers to the core national transmission network. CPEC has made tangible contribution to the national development of Pakistan and connectivity in the region. China and Pakistan have also explored new areas for cooperation under the framework of CPEC, creating new highlights in cooperation on agriculture, science and technology, telecommunication and people’s wellbeing.

China stands ready to work with Pakistan to build on the past achievements and follow the guidance of the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries on promoting high-quality development of CPEC to boost the development of China and Pakistan and the region and bring more benefits to the people of all countries.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/2...

Gwadar’s 1.2 MGD water plant completed: GPA - Pakistan Observer

https://pakobserver.net/gwadars-1-2-mgd-water-plant-completed-gpa/

In order to provide clean water to residents of Gwadar, 1.2 MGD seawater desalination plant has finally been completed as per schedule. Formal inauguration is all set to be executed by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during his likely visit to Gwadar after Eid Holidays. Talking to Gwadar Pro, Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) project director Dawood Baloch said water desalination plant has been done and dusted with a grant of Rs. 2 billion from China in collaboration with Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), National Engineering Services Pakistan and China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC).

Along with completion of Civil, mechanical and electrical work, Central room of 1.2 MGD desalination water plant is now up and running, he informed. Almost 90 percent manpower and human resource, he said, have been hired from local market of Gwadar and Balochistan. On a query, he said that all related equipment and apparatus have been installed in befitting manner to keep desalination water plant functional with full capacity.

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Gwadar to get clean drinking water

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2406514/gwadar-to-get-clean-drinking-w...


QUETTA:
A pipeline 152 kilometers in length, connected to two newly-constructed dams, Shadi Kor and Sod, will provide clean drinking water to Gwadar city.

"The government is taking all possible steps to prevent a water shortage and supply clean water to the people," Public Health Engineering (PHE) Secretary Saleh Baloch said. Uninterrupted water supply to people's homes should be ensured, and no negligence will be tolerated in this regard, he added.

He expressed these views while presiding over the review meeting regarding Gwadar's ‘Ab-noshi’ projects. Gwadar Deputy Commissioner Izzat Nazir Baloch, PHE Executive Engineer Shakeel Ahmed Baloch, Development Institute Gwadar Chief Engineer Haji Syed Muhammad Baloch, Health Engineering SDO Engineer Shezar Amir, and other officers were also present in the meeting.

Chief Engineer Syed Muhammad Baloch said that the water capacity of Shadi Kor Dam is 35 thousand acre-feet, while the water capacity of Sod Dam is 46 thousand acre-feet.

The mega undertaking (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC) has created nearly 200,000 direct local jobs, built more than 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) of highways and roads, and added 8,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, ending years of blackouts caused by power outages in the country of 230 million people.


https://www.voanews.com/a/top-china-official-visits-pakistan-markin...


Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters in Beijing earlier this month that CPEC projects "are flourishing all across Pakistan," making a "tangible contribution" to the national development of the country and to regional connectivity.

But critics say many projects have suffered delays, including several much-touted industrial zones that were supposed to help Pakistan enhance its exports to earn much-needed foreign exchange.

The country's declining dollar reserves have prevented Islamabad from paying Chinese power producers, leading to strains in many ties.

Pakistan owes more than $1.26 billion (350 billion rupees) to Chinese power plants. The amount keeps growing, and China has been reluctant to defer or restructure the payment and CPEC debts. All the Chinese loans – both government and commercial banks – makeup nearly 30% of Islamabad's external debt.

Some critics blame CPEC investments for contributing to Pakistan's economic troubles. The government fended off the risk of an imminent default by securing a short-term $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout agreement this month.

Security threats to its citizens and interests in Pakistan have also been a cause of concern for China. Militant attacks have killed several Chinese nationals in recent years, prompting Beijing to press Islamabad to ensure security measures for CPEC projects.

Diplomatic sources told VOA that China has lately directed its diplomats and citizens working on CPEC programs to strictly limit their movements and avoid visiting certain Pakistani cities for security reasons.

"They [Chinese] believe this security issue is becoming an impediment in taking CPEC forward," Senator Mushahid Hussain, the chairman of the defense committee of the upper house of the Pakistani parliament, told VOA in an interview earlier this month.

"Recurring expressions of concern about the safety and security of Chinese citizens and investors in Pakistan by top Chinese leaders indicate that Pakistan's promises of 'foolproof security' for Chinese working in Pakistan have yet to be fulfilled," said Hussain, who represents Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's ruling party in the Senate.

Why fears of a Chinese naval base at Pakistan’s Gwadar port are overblown

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231705/why-fears-chin...


China’s continued investment in the port, despite its lacklustre performance, has raised suspicions that it is intended for use as a Chinese navy base
However, despite its strategic location, the port is not as attractive as the ones in Karachi and Ormara, nor does Islamabad seem interested in a permanent Chinese naval presence

By Riaz Khokhar


On August 14, a roadside bomb targeted a convoy carrying Chinese engineers in Gwadar, Pakistan. While none were injured, the continued presence of Chinese workers in Gwadar, despite recurring terrorist attacks, might puzzle casual observers.
By accepting Pakistan’s 40-year lease proposal for the Gwadar port’s construction and operation in 2013, Beijing also signed up to the inherent risks of working in Balochistan, a province marred by insurgency. The choice underscored a prioritisation of strategic interests over purely economic ones.
Despite Gwadar Port operating since 2008, it has seen minimal economic activity. While trade activity at Karachi Port and Port Qasim averaged 41 and 48 million tonnes respectively between 2020 and 2023, Gwadar Port reported under 100,000 tonnes.
This disparity, combined with persistent Chinese investment despite obvious risks, has bolstered the idea that Beijing may be helping Pakistan construct a larger naval facility at Gwadar for potential access and use by the Chinese navy.

In the early 2000s, Pakistan began reaching out to China to help build a naval base at Gwadar. By 2005, Pakistan’s naval chief had envisioned it as the nation’s third naval base, complementing the Karachi base and the Jinnah base at Ormara.
Gwadar is seen as a probable location for a Chinese naval base due to its strategic position near the Strait of Hormuz and ability to host large warships. It is anticipated that Chinese navy warships will dock at Gwadar for repairs and replenishment, as they have in Karachi in the past. This would address China’s ability to sustain a fleet in the Indian Ocean and may allow Beijing access to regional maritime data.
However, to what extent will this potential be realised? Key considerations include the nature of China’s intelligence operations concerning US naval activities and whether Pakistan would allow the Chinese navy permanent access to its bases.

Why fears of a Chinese naval base at Pakistan’s Gwadar port are overblown

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231705/why-fears-chin...

Intelligence gathering by Chinese entities or navy personnel at such facilities is hardly new. US Navy Lieutenant Commander Joseph McGinnis’ research highlighted the Karachi and Jinnah naval bases as primary choices for the Chinese navy due to their “superior repair, logistics, and military facilities”. If China were to use Pakistan-based facilities for overseas operations, these two bases would be prioritised.

Besides, Pakistan hosts most of its naval assets – much of them Chinese-supplied – at the Karachi and Jinnah bases. Chinese technicians have been present at the former for years and are likely to be at the latter too, given the relocation of strategic assets there since 2011.
Beijing would probably have been gathering intel on US naval activities in the Persian Gulf through its assets and personnel at these bases. If the US had reservations, it would have exercised its leverage over Pakistan to address them.
Additionally, such surveillance is hardly unique. Chinese firms operating ports in over 50 countries similarly monitor naval operations, according to Isaac B. Kardon and Wendy Leutert in their 2022 International Security article, “Pier competitor: China’s power position in global ports”.
Pakistan is likely to accept this trade-off in return for Chinese naval transfers, given the constraints on obtaining military equipment from the US and Europe. Islamabad aims to increase its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities not only against India but against terrorists, who have previously targeted Pakistan’s naval strategic assets.

The Pakistani cabinet’s recent nod towards renewing the Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement with the US after its 2020 expiration indicates Islamabad’s interest in US military tech integrated with ISR features. If China offers similar tech, it might understandably want access for regional data collection.
Yet, this is vastly different from the Chinese navy deploying surveillance ships directly on the Pakistani coast. Currently, the Chinese navy primarily utilises its Djibouti base for noncombat and anti-piracy missions near the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, up to North Africa. Having a foothold in Pakistan’s southwestern shores would significantly aid operations extending to the Persian Gulf.

Why fears of a Chinese naval base at Pakistan’s Gwadar port are overblown

https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231705/why-fears-chin...


Islamabad has previously allowed port calls by the Chinese navy, including submarine visits. Pakistan’s chief of naval staff recently indicated an openness to more such visits, including from Chinese aircraft carriers.
Still, the primary role of the temporary deployment of Chinese navy personnel and warships on these bases has been to offer training to Pakistani navy officers and improve interoperability on Pakistan’s warships of Chinese origin. To date, the Chinese navy hasn’t established a consistent naval presence on Pakistani bases.

Pakistan would be wise to avoid granting the Chinese navy access to its bases for contingency operations, as this could one day translate into regional military actions or coercive diplomacy.
Instead, Islamabad seems to be leveraging the possibility of such port calls to secure support from the US. For example, the US has approved a US$450 million F-16 sustainment sale and supported an International Monetary Fund loan package.

There are two scenarios in which Pakistan might allow permanent Chinese navy deployments at its bases.
One, Washington’s support for Islamabad diminishes and punitive actions against Pakistan increase, coupled with amplified backing for India’s defence capabilities and potential military campaigns against Pakistan. In other words, unless Pakistan anticipates an irreversible breakdown in its strategic relationship with the US, it would be reluctant to permit a permanent Chinese naval presence.
Two, if China supersedes the US in economic, military and diplomatic dominance, and Pakistan secures guarantees from Beijing, then Pakistan’s expectation of US benefits or penalties may diminish, enabling more latitude in its decisions.
Riaz Khokhar is a research analyst on geopolitics and security of the Indo-Pacific region and a former Asia studies visiting fellow at East-West Center in Washington

China, Pakistan to enhance connectivity of Gwadar Port

https://en.portnews.ru/news/369176/

China and Pakistan agreed to solidly enhance connectivity between the Gwadar Port and other parts of Pakistan, said a joint statement issued here Tuesday during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's official visit to Pakistan.

Recognizing the significance of the Gwadar Port as a key hub for cross-regional connectivity, the two sides reaffirmed their readiness to speed up the development of the auxiliary infrastructure of the Gwadar Port and to steadily attract more cargo shipments to the port.

They also agreed to find a solution to the inadequate water and power supply at an early date, to accelerate the development of the port's industrial zone and to solidly enhance connectivity between the port and other parts of Pakistan.

Feature: China-funded forest flourishes in Pakistan's Gwadar as symbol of friendship

https://english.news.cn/20241001/d0db756e74104906b9502b59eccce0d1/c...

by Misbah Saba Malik, Deng Kaiyin

GWADAR, Pakistan, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- As the sea breeze swept through a vibrant forest just a few yards away from the bustling Gwadar Port, here in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, Muhammad Iqbal called out firmly from a corner, instructing his subordinates to water the plants carefully, making sure not to trample the delicate saplings.

For the 57-year-old fellow, who has been working with the port for the last 16 years, this friendship forest is not just a collection of greenery but a personal labor of love.

As one of the pillar projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Gwadar Port has been operated by China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) since 2013.

Launched in 2013, CPEC, the flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is a corridor linking the Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation in the first phase, while in the new phase expands to fields of agriculture and livelihood, among others.

"This place was once barren, with nothing but dust blowing around all day," he recalled. "One day, a Chinese manager from COPHC told me that they were going to transform this land into a forest, and that is how it all began."

"We have selected tree species suitable for local climate with wind-breaking and sand-fixing functions for the greening project," said Wang Ruilei, who was in charge of greening at COPHC, adding that after joint efforts from both sides, more than 4,000 trees have been planted in the friendship forest in Gwadar.

The once-empty plot has now blossomed into a lush sanctuary, and the seedlings that Iqbal planted are now grown into strong trees providing beautiful scenery and fresh air to the people of Gwadar.

"As per our observation, the maximum ground temperature in a year used to reach 52 degrees Celsius, but now it is around 43 degrees Celsius," said Wang, "I am proud to say that I can feel the improvement of the local climate brought by the forest."

The forest has seen Chinese ambassadors to Pakistan and foreign ambassadors from countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the European Union to Pakistan plant trees during their visits to Gwadar, and each tree stands as a symbol of growing diplomatic ties between Pakistan and these nations.

Bilal Javed, Iqbal's subordinate who joined him a year ago, has been assigned the most crucial responsibility of nurturing the plants the dignitaries had planted.

"Iqbal is meticulous about these plants," Bilal said, adding that "they represent memories of our foreign guests, and we must ensure they flourish -- just like Pakistan's relations with China and these countries."

The 27-year-old said that the forest also motivated him and many other young people of Gwadar to replicate the good work and plant trees at their homes.

"Before this forest, this area used to be dusty and warm, but with all this greenery, the air feels cleaner and fresher," Bilal said, taking a deep breath as the breeze rustled the leaves of the trees overhead.

As a key component of the Chinese Ambassador's Green Employment Plan Project, the forest has helped promote local employment and increased farmers' income in Gwadar.

In a conversation with Xinhua, Allah Buksh, another forester in the forest, said the trees and shrubs planted in the forest have provided a large amount of feed for the sheep farm.

"Chinese staff has also taught local farmers techniques such as cuttings, grafting, scientific weeding, and fertilization to increase crop yields," he added.

The transformation of this once-desolate land into a flourishing forest has not only beautified the port area but has also sparked a green movement, making Iqbal plan to expand the forest of the kind to other parts of the city.

Pak-China Friendship Hospital brings lifesaving relief and hope in Pakistan's Gwadar-Xinhua

https://english.news.cn/20241104/759137d30165436e91c6f3416b0bf557/c...


Affan Faiq Zada, Medical Superintendent: "We have seen drastic improvements in the health outcomes here. This hospital has been a blessing for the local community." The Pak-China Friendship Hospital is making a significant impact in Pakistan's Gwadar. #CPEC

100-bed hospital

900 patients seen daily in outpatient clinic

State of the Art equipment including CT Scan, Digital X-rays, medical lab etc.

https://youtu.be/cj8Q0cKHhpY?si=nBl4tUnYzDkOZih_

Inspired by China's city of Shenzhen, the master plan of Gwadar smart port city envisions the development of an industrial base that will not only create a lot of employment opportunities but also promote tourism in the area.

https://en.ndrc.gov.cn/news/mediarusources/202211/t20221103_1340804...

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's southwestern Gwadar district will be a hub of trade and investment in the future thanks to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Director-General of Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) Mujeeb Ur Rehman Qambrani said on Monday.

Addressing a special session on "Gwadar and the Road to Sustainable Development" organized by the Islamabad-based think tank Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Qambrani said that the master plan of Gwadar smart port city envisions the development of an industrial base which will not only create a lot of employment opportunities but also promote tourism in the area.

The master plan is inspired by China's city of Shenzhen and the GDA is vigorously executing it for timely delivery, he said, adding that the master plan was finalized after collaboration between Pakistani, Chinese, and other stakeholders.

He said that Gwadar international airport being constructed with cooperation from China will be functional in 2023 and will enhance the development process of the district.

Hassan Daud Butt, senior advisor at the China Study Center of the think-tank, said that Pakistan-China cooperation on the CPEC and combating COVID-19 has transformed Pakistan's technological pace.

"China is building an enabling environment for business and economic opportunities in our country. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves to capture the opportunity," he added.

Also speaking at the event, Sajid Amin, deputy executive director at the SDPI, said that the development sector and civil society organizations can play a pivotal role as knowledge partners and in the advocacy of the immense socio-economic potential of Gwadar.