Gwadar, the center of economic potential

Inaugurating several projects in Gwadar, including the first phase of the free zone, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the future is tied to Gwadar, which is emerging as an important center of development and ensuring prosperity for the entire region. With the completion of the first phase of the Gwadar Free Zone, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the second phase of the 2200-acre Free Zone and inaugurated three factories and an expo center. These projects can be considered as a major step towards development in Gwadar and it is hoped that the economic fruits of these projects will begin to emerge in the near future. The economic prospects and hopes associated with Gwadar are not without reason. The location of this seaport, the depth of this port and its geographical location make it an important trading hub for Pakistan, China, Central Asia and Afghanistan According to him, development is the main task. The sooner this work is completed, the sooner the fruits will be reaped. However, in the case of Gwadar, it is felt that the completion of development projects is progressing slowly. Thus, we are also slow to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity of the Blue Economy. The port of Gwadar was completed in 2006 and should have gained the status of a busy port at least nationally in that period.

 

The growing busyness of Karachi's ports also makes it possible to keep Gwadar as the third largest port in the country, but Gwadar has not been used to its full potential for nearly a decade and a half. The railway network is essential to develop Gwadar as a full-fledged gateway as it is difficult to prove the usefulness of a port without the fastest and safest infrastructure for the movement of commercial goods. During this period of completion of Gwadar port, it was necessary to pay full attention to these movement plans, but in our country, the opposite has happened. However, construction of motorways in the southern and western parts of the country has been accelerated in recent times under the C-Pack. However, no attention has been paid to the improvement of the railway, which is still the preferred means of transporting goods from the port. Therefore, it would not be wrong to assume that despite the geographical location of Gwadar Port and its economic potential, there is not much commitment to take advantage of it. In the current situation, this place is the starting point of the Pak-China Economic Corridor and is an important maritime gateway to China's western regions, Central Asia and Afghanistan, but there is a need to speed up work for these purposes as well. To make Gwadar attractive to the world, it is also important to pay special attention to basic amenities and plans to raise the living standards of the local population. To go For the last few years, every government has been regularly announcing these projects, paving the way for assurances and allocating financial resources, but the local population of Gwadar still complains of lack or deprivation of clean drinking water and electricity. Is found. The population of this emerging part of Pakistan's maritime trade and economy has been associated with the fishing profession from the backs, but the lack of modern facilities is also a problem here. If these fishermen have better facilities and training, their income The increase is certain. In addition, the power facility, which is commonly complained about, also needs attention. As the focus of the C-Pack project, these development aspects of Gwadar need to be addressed on a priority basis, while the need for a modern airport is beyond that. Keeping in view the needs of a large regional commercial hub, a modern and large airport can accelerate the development of Gwadar.

 

Although these projects are going on at some level, the foundation stone of some of them has been laid, the completion of some of them has been approved and a memorandum of completion has been signed in domestic and foreign institutions. However, accelerating the development process is fundamentally important and requires the federal government to monitor these projects and take steps to ensure progress. Gwadar's geographical location makes it one of the most important gateways in the Arabian Sea, but due to its slow pace of development, it is a dream that is still in the process of being realized. The diversity of the regional and global situation demands it. He said that the process of completion of strategic locations should be taken forward without wasting any opportunity. In the chapter of Gwadar, the importance of Central Asian regions has its place and undoubtedly also of Afghanistan. The port of Gwadar can provide trade opportunities in less time and more easily to our landlocked neighbors. However, all the possibilities of trade and economy "obviously" pass through the valley of peace.