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Gwadar Port takeover by China blessing for Pakistan economy: Haleem Siddiqui - Power Engineering


Capt Haleem Siddiqui, Chairman Marine Group of Companies, former minister for water and power has described the presence of China at Gwadar Port as a blessing for Pakistan economy.
Talking to Pakistan Observer in an exclusive interview Capt. Haleem Siddiqui said that so far Gwadar Port is far away from economic hub of Pakistan due to absence of infrastructure communication facilities which are a prerequisite to for supporting the port operations and a strong link with the rest of the economic centers of the country.
"When I say the take over of Gwadar Port by China is a blessing for the economy of Pakistan it means that China has assured to develop hinterland infrastructure to link the port with rest of the country. When the hinterland is developed it will have a great spill over the economic activities that would be taken up by China for shipments of goods to and from Western part of China which is comparatively less developed when compared to Western China and China desires to develop its western part as well for which it will be using our Gwadar Port"
Capt. Haleem Siddiqui who carries international reckoning in port and shipping expertise besides running Pakistan's most prestigious container terminal called Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) with the support of the World Bank and currently on the way of developing Pakistan's first dirty cargo terminal at Port Qasim said that actually China needs Gwadar Port more than Pakistan to carry out its development plans in the Western China which is far away from Eastern coast and transportation of goods would be much costlier than what it would cost through Gwadar Port.
So far Western China is the most deprived part of that country because all the industrial developments have been taken place in the Eastern part of China which has well equipped import and export facilities. Even if the Chinese products transport to its eastern part through Gwadar Port it will be cheaper in terms of money and time consumption.
So for the forthcoming industrialization in West of China would be in need of Gwadar port for import and export purposes Hence the take over of Gwadar Port by China will generate a great deal of economic activity in this part of the world and that would have a simultaneous spill over for the economic growth of Pakistan.
China besides development of hinterland infrastructure around Gwadar will also be developing motorways and have already developed a dry port at SUST border. Chinese have also converted Shah rahe Resham by making it a 40 ft wide motor way which can
two containers side by side for transportation. Apart from other things the western part of China is much closer to the access of oil and gas from Gwadar port, they can also lay a pipeline for conveying gas and oil from Gwadar Port. This will generate employment, and services sector in Pakistan and benefits to the people of Pakistan especially in Balochistan would be enormous and that would be opening of prosperity to Balochistan so far the most deprived province in the country.
He agreed that to carry out all these projects we need political stability, honest and dedicated leadership having direction in their minds to develop Pakistan rather than working for their own interests.
There is a flow of economic benefits in Pakistan especially in Balochistan however this require capacity to explore and guide these economic flow for the benefit of the country, therefore we need a leadership having capacity to exploit plenty of economic resources to give a turn around to the economy of Pakistan.
Economy is flowing like water in Pakistan the only thing required to grab this flow of economic opportunities. It is just like water if you would store the water you will not develop dams, you will be at the losing end.
Capt. Haleem Siddiqui currently more involved in some projects of national importance like Bulk handing cargo terminal at Port Qasim which will be exclusively hand coal to cater to the need of power generation, cement plants and other industrial units.
So far the capacity of Bulk Terminal Cargo was 8 million tons of coal but in view of growing demand as most of the power generating units are in line to use this terminal, the marine group has expanded the capacity from 8 million tons to 12 million tons.
 
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Pakistan Navy beefs up security at Gwadar Port, western coast

Karachi, Mar. 29 (ANI): To strengthen the defence of Gwadar Port and to enhance the security of vital assets and installations along the western coast, the Pakistan Navy has commissioned the 3rd Pak Marines Battalion.
The commissioning ceremony was held on Thursday in the presence of the Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Muhammad Shafiq.
Addressing naval personnel, the chief guest was quoted by Pakistan Today, as saying the country was currently facing internal and external threats, which made security the main concern.
He said that Pakistan's Marines have always remained steadfast and proved their mettle whenever the nation had called on them to do so.
"Be defence of border in creek areas, air defence of PN assets, security of sensitive areas, aid to civil power during natural disasters or countering cowardly acts of terrorism, the Pak Marines have always lived up to the expectations of the nation," he added.
Vice-Admiral Shafiq further said that the Pakistan Navy was making all out efforts to equip the Pak Marines with modern weapons and was also focusing on their professional training in line with the modern-day requirements. (ANI)

Pakistan Navy beefs up security at Gwadar Port, western coast
 
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alibaz said:
Pakistan Navy beefs up security at Gwadar Port, western coast

Karachi, Mar. 29 (ANI): To strengthen the defence of Gwadar Port and to enhance the security of vital assets and installations along the western coast, the Pakistan Navy has commissioned the 3rd Pak Marines Battalion.
The commissioning ceremony was held on Thursday in the presence of the Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Muhammad Shafiq.
Addressing naval personnel, the chief guest was quoted by Pakistan Today, as saying the country was currently facing internal and external threats, which made security the main concern.
He said that Pakistan's Marines have always remained steadfast and proved their mettle whenever the nation had called on them to do so.
"Be defence of border in creek areas, air defence of PN assets, security of sensitive areas, aid to civil power during natural disasters or countering cowardly acts of terrorism, the Pak Marines have always lived up to the expectations of the nation," he added.
Vice-Admiral Shafiq further said that the Pakistan Navy was making all out efforts to equip the Pak Marines with modern weapons and was also focusing on their professional training in line with the modern-day requirements. (ANI)

Pakistan Navy beefs up security at Gwadar Port, western coast
Click to expand...

I think PN has to do even more like they should explain and force the GoP in the right way by letting the GoP to look towards developing a Modern Naval Base with all the facilities there and 3 Mega Ship Yards and more over making Ormara and Karachi Naval Base restructuring as well as constructing a 3rd Ship Yard in Karachi. Also they should try to play their own role to make Gawadar Operational by our own people like Experience people from Karachi Port and Port Qasim about 35% of there force along with new talent from Balochistan especially to be recruited for Gawadar Port Authority and paying off China their $1.1 Billion in soft and easy installments 3-5 years.... INSHA ALLAH all this can be achieved by the Grace of Almighty ALLAH and will of our own people. Ameen.
 
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Nishan_101 said:
I think PN has to do even more like they should explain and force the GoP in the right way by letting the GoP to look towards developing a Modern Naval Base with all the facilities there and 3 Mega Ship Yards and more over making Ormara and Karachi Naval Base restructuring as well as constructing a 3rd Ship Yard in Karachi. Also they should try to play their own role to make Gawadar Operational by our own people like Experience people from Karachi Port and Port Qasim about 35% of there force along with new talent from Balochistan especially to be recruited for Gawadar Port Authority and paying off China their $1.1 Billion in soft and easy installments 3-5 years.... INSHA ALLAH all this can be achieved by the Grace of Almighty ALLAH and will of our own people. Ameen.
Click to expand...


all set for gwadar naval base

ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping on Monday recommended the government to release Rs 474 million for purchase of land for Pakistan Navy (PN), which will ensure security for Gwadar Port, Balochistan.
Deputy Chief of Navel Staff Admiral Zakaullah told the committee that the government has assigned security arrangement to PN of all ports in the country during war and peace time. In this regard the PN required 1,000 acres of land to ensure security of the Gwadar Port and in this regard arrangement with provincial government of Balochistan and other stakeholders have already been completed. This land is required for strategic and defence purposes only and for long-term motives, he maintained.
He also claimed that PN has developed 584 acres land but now the government asked for vacating that place, however, the PN agreed on it. However, 1,000 acres of land may be provided immediately to for developmental works at Gwadar Port.
The committee was informed that the PN has agreed to vacate 584 acres of land, which is in its possession since 1980s. Chairman of the committee Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani directed to resolve all outstanding issues of PN, provincial government and speed-up the work on Gwadar development.
He also claimed that prices of land were too high at Gwadar Port, which has bright future once it becomes fully operational. The chairman directed that local people should be given priority in appointment at Gwadar Port otherwise deprivation will further increase among local people.
Gwadar Port chairman informed the committee that 99.9 percent local people were given employment and utmost efforts were made for the local people. Senator Rubina Irfan was of the view that local people should be given proper training at Port Qasim and Karachi Port Trust. Such training will ensure appointment to local skilled people.
She expressed her annoyance that the federal government was handling Gwadar Port and it was not given to the local people. It is regrettable that the government has initiated Aghaz-e-Haqooqi Pakistan but could not hand over Gwadar Port to Balochistan. Rubina demanded that Gwadar Port should be given to the provincial government immediately. She claimed that the federal government was responsible for all law and order situation in Balochistan and blamed that government agencies were involved in it.
Briefing the committee, the Port Qasim Authority chairman said that there is a dispute between PQA and PN over a piece of land of 250 acres. The PQA already paid for it but PN has yet to vacate that piece of land.
He further informed the committee that there are about 273 industrial units under construction. He said Pakistan Textile City, over an area of 1,250 acres has substantially been completed with a total cost of $67 million. He said now the investors can come and invest there.
 
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W.11 said:
all set for gwadar naval base

ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping on Monday recommended the government to release Rs 474 million for purchase of land for Pakistan Navy (PN), which will ensure security for Gwadar Port, Balochistan.
Deputy Chief of Navel Staff Admiral Zakaullah told the committee that the government has assigned security arrangement to PN of all ports in the country during war and peace time. In this regard the PN required 1,000 acres of land to ensure security of the Gwadar Port and in this regard arrangement with provincial government of Balochistan and other stakeholders have already been completed. This land is required for strategic and defence purposes only and for long-term motives, he maintained.
He also claimed that PN has developed 584 acres land but now the government asked for vacating that place, however, the PN agreed on it. However, 1,000 acres of land may be provided immediately to for developmental works at Gwadar Port.
The committee was informed that the PN has agreed to vacate 584 acres of land, which is in its possession since 1980s. Chairman of the committee Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani directed to resolve all outstanding issues of PN, provincial government and speed-up the work on Gwadar development.
He also claimed that prices of land were too high at Gwadar Port, which has bright future once it becomes fully operational. The chairman directed that local people should be given priority in appointment at Gwadar Port otherwise deprivation will further increase among local people.
Gwadar Port chairman informed the committee that 99.9 percent local people were given employment and utmost efforts were made for the local people. Senator Rubina Irfan was of the view that local people should be given proper training at Port Qasim and Karachi Port Trust. Such training will ensure appointment to local skilled people.
She expressed her annoyance that the federal government was handling Gwadar Port and it was not given to the local people. It is regrettable that the government has initiated Aghaz-e-Haqooqi Pakistan but could not hand over Gwadar Port to Balochistan. Rubina demanded that Gwadar Port should be given to the provincial government immediately. She claimed that the federal government was responsible for all law and order situation in Balochistan and blamed that government agencies were involved in it.
Briefing the committee, the Port Qasim Authority chairman said that there is a dispute between PQA and PN over a piece of land of 250 acres. The PQA already paid for it but PN has yet to vacate that piece of land.
He further informed the committee that there are about 273 industrial units under construction. He said Pakistan Textile City, over an area of 1,250 acres has substantially been completed with a total cost of $67 million. He said now the investors can come and invest there.
Click to expand...



This dispute is the one that caused the Singaporean departure, and led to the present contract to the Chinese. Unless resolved, it may cause further problems.
 
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Argus Panoptes said:
This dispute is the one that caused the Singaporean departure, and led to the present contract to the Chinese. Unless resolved, it may cause further problems.
Click to expand...

yaar port qasim is in karachi
 
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Opinion Gwadar and ‘the great game’

Taj M Khattak

Wednesday, April 03, 2013




It is perhaps a less known fact that when President Richard Nixon visited Pakistan in 1973, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto sought US help to construct a new port at Gwadar, and reportedly offered the US Navy use of the facility. The US, of course, was not interested as mere 70 kilometres to the west lay Chahbahar, a naval base, a full-fledged cantonment for a division’s strength force and a 12,000 feet long runway operating fighter bombers, long-range reconnaissance and air-to-air refuelling tankers – with the Shah of Iran playing the US policeman overlooking the Indian Ocean south up to eight degree latitude. China later signed on the project four months after the US attacked Afghanistan.



Four decades later, the handing over of this strategically located port to China by another Pakistan Peoples Party-led government is, therefore, an important development as it may have placed Gwadar on the matrix of intense geo-strategic competition. The port has the potential to act as a catalyst for such projects as the trans-shipment of bulk cargo, oil storage, refinery, petrochemicals, export processing and industrial zones, export of minerals and ship repair industry. When fully functional, it has the potential to benefit many neighbouring and landlocked counties in the region in one way or the other.



India was quick to react, calling it a matter of concern for reasons not too difficult to understand as the China-Pakistan naval synergy in Gwadar, while improving their own energy security situation, can also pose problems for India’s sea lines of communications. This can turn into a nightmare if the US thins out its presence in Bahrain due to its economy or reduced dependence on Gulf oil if there is greater credibility in reports about its self-sufficiency in this century.



While Gwadar gives access to China into the Indian Ocean, Chahbahar – where India is investing generously – gives access to India into Afghanistan. Normally, it is the weaker country that gets concerned when a stronger country adds to its national power, but it seems to be an established pattern now that whatever is in Pakistan’s interest is a matter of concern for India.



India was never unaware of the significance of Gwadar in the global power play and therefore came up with a two-ponged strategy: a) by constructing a sprawling naval base at Karwar south of Goa on the western springboard of the Indian Ocean and b) investment in Chahbahar to provide India access to Afghanistan via the Indian Ocean. The first phase of the Karwar base was completed in 2005 at a cost of US $8 billion while India, Iran and Afghanistan have signed an agreement to give Indian goods destined for Central Asia and Afghanistan preferential treatment and tariff concessions at Chah Bahar.



India and China are locked in an intense competition astride the energy highway of the 21st century in Chahbahar and Gwadar. India is in the process of constructing the Chahbahar-Milak-Zaranj-Dilaram road from Iran to Afghanistan, while the 213 kilometres long Zaranj-Dilaram section in Afghanistan’s Nimroz province has already been completed.



It is also assisting Iran in upgrading the Chahbahar-Milak rail track. For Iran, a well developed rail/road infrastructure from Chahbahar stretching to the Afghanistan border translates into greater influence in Afghanistan over Shia and non-Pakhtun ethnic groups and is an added political dividend in its relations with Pakistan and the US.



To exert further pressure on China on the Hormuz to Malacca straits oil route, India is accelerating construction of a high-tech naval base at Rambilli west of Visakhapatnam on its eastern coast which will include underground berths for nuclear weapons armed submarines. The force levels at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) headquartered at Visakhapatnam have already been enhanced where at least 50 warships, including an amphibious landing ship and nuclear submarines, are based. Likewise, the tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Commands (ANC) has been bolstered from where high-tech IAF aircraft occasionally break the sound barrier over the narrow Malacca Strait to announce their arrival. The Indo-US strategic relationship and the US pivot to the east only add to the concerns of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean.



While other facilities at Myanmar and Sri Lanka can help China towards increased energy security, it is Gwadar – due to its geographical location – that can free oil-thirsty China from security concerns over a longer southern transportation route as it vies with the US for number one economy by end of this century. Direct access to the Indian Ocean through Gwadar would also give China a strategic post of observation and a key location for its navy, whose ships recently participated in a multination exercise in the waters south of Gwadar.



China Central Television (CCTV) recently announced the acquisition of four diesel electric submarines to add to its fleet of 65 subsurface vessels and two squadrons of advanced multi-role fighters from Russia. The deal, the first major purchase in a decade, was later denied by Russian news agency Itar-Tass. Whatever the truth, China may have executed its own ‘pivot’ by coming closer to Russia in order to counterbalance US interests in Asia.



Certain western capitals that tow US foreign policy understand this great game well and extend hospitality to Baloch nationalist politicians, as do the US senators who sponsor resolutions in their senate, sidestepping the legally vexing question of how Nasir Khan I could, in the first place, ‘grant’ Gwadar to Al Bu Sai’d of Muscat who was a ‘refugee’ in the territory of the Khan of Kalat in the 18th century – an act for which Pakistan had to pay $3 million nearly a century later.



As part of hinterland infrastructural development, China has is interested in the construction of Gwadar to Nawabshah and upgrading the Karakorum Highway to connect China’s Xinjiang region with Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. In 2006, a memorandum of understanding was signed between both countries to upgrade this road and connect Kashgar and Abbottabad.



President Asif Ali Zardari and China’s President Hu Jintao are believed to have discussed a 3,000 kilometres rail line between Gwadar and Kashgar in July 2010. The cost would be enormous, up to US $30 million per kilometre in the highest mountains but this kind of money will have to be found if the Gwadar-China connection is to become the Suez Canal of the 21st century as described by some analysts.



But we also need to understand that, while Pak-China friendship is higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the Indian Ocean, the Chinese are not careless with their money and will invest only if they see any dividends. We, therefore, have to create the right conditions in Balochistan for such ambitious projects to take off so as to contend with Indo-US challenges in the region.



The successive governments in Pakistan have not paid due attention to the ports and shipping sector and almost every political party in power has managed it more for personal gains than national interest. As we stand to almost certainly usher in another corrupt government, there is unlikely to be sufficient funding for any robust defence of our maritime interests. The least we can do then is improve our energy security through Gwadar so that the county can put up a spirited defence should the need arise.



The 30,000-odd navy personnel and a few thousand merchant mariners are not enough to engage the national imagination. The strategic location of Gwadar be as it may, we shall not be able to draw the fullest advantage from it unless there is a larger national orientation towards the other ‘great game’ that is being played on the ocean in the south.



The writer is a retired vice-admiral and former vice-chief of the naval staff. Email: tajkhattak@ymail.com
 
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I hope the next pakistani government doesnt mess this up
 
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gwadar airport

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gwadar port
 
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hehehe if pti comes in i'm putting some investment in this region for sure :D
 
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