Zahoor Raja-Jani
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2016
- Messages
- 290
- Reaction score
- -2
- Country
- Location
DAY 1
0630hrs: I feel it is a cardinal sin of the highest order to ask a journalist to report for duty at 7am.
Suffice it to say, I hadn’t woken this early in several months. After barely two hours of sleep following an intense shift at work, I was hoping to catch the winter sun but was instead greeted with pitch darkness.
The PNS Akram jetty near Gwadar port manned by Pak Marines and Naval SSG.
I was asked to report at Naval Headquarters Karachi at day break. Running late, I didn’t reach the Naval HQ until a little after 8:00am. The journalist troupe had already left for the Naval airbase but luckily arrangements were hastily made to take me to PNS Mehran.
0830hrs: The Navy’s newly-commissioned ATR transport aircraft was fuelled and ready to take off. I was the last civilian to board the plane.
When the ATR was airborne, it afforded all of us passengers a misty aerial view of Karachi. The flying experience was luxurious compared to the Hercules C-130, a rough and rowdy beast belonging to the Air Force.
With comfortable seats and a spacious aisle, the ATR is nothing short of a commercial passenger jet. The Navy had purchased the ATRs two years ago, a crew member told us.
"They need certain modifications and upgrading after which they will be able to conduct sea surveillance."
The hour-long flight from Karachi to Pasni was punctuated with tea, announcements and intervals.
Pak Marines' battalion provides security to Gwadar port.
0930hrs: We had to land in Pasni because the Gwadar airport was closed for maintenance. It was like landing in absolute wilderness: Balochistan’s coastal belt is filled with sand dunes and dusty planes.
We were then transported to the Naval Officers’ Mess, also known as the wardroom, to "freshen up" before the two-hour bus ride to Gwadar.
Despite the dismal dunes of Pasni, the lavatory at our disposal was lavish.
At this point, Gwadar was still 45km away as suggested by a milestone along the coastal highway.
The Gwadar port.
The single-lane highway is a marvel. An economic lifeline for local residents and businesses, it provides access to the coastal belt from other cities and has brightened prospects for tourism in the province — as is evident from the number of Karachiites who visit Balochistan’s beaches.
1200hrs: Landing in Gwadar was nothing short of a surprise, which is an underdeveloped, dusty coastal town.
Contrary to my expectations, Gwadar — which is the main block of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project — is yet to benefit from the development propagated through paid media content.
The deep blue sea near Gwadar.
The Gwadar port is far from operational. I noticed there is no adequate multi-lane road leading to the port. The best way to access it is through a narrow, crowded market where traffic jams are regular features.
As we navigated our way through the city, our liaison officer on the trip pointed towards a superstore (poorly-stocked by Karachi standards) and said, "This is the best shop we have in Gwadar."
The picture of Gwadar’s development was pretty much complete for me after this.
Unfortunately, I still had to attend a high-level briefing on this very subject later that day.
1230hrs: The Naval Mess in Gwadar, which sits atop a hill a few hundred feet above sea level, lives up to national military standards.
The Gwadar port and the beach make for breathtaking sights when viewed from the top of the cliff.
We were served Hi-Tea upon arrival and then asked to gulp it down because the briefing had started.
It was difficult to choose between a hard-earned cup of tea after a long road trip and a briefing on the already-evident "development" in Gwadar. I took my cup of tea to the briefing room.
0630hrs: I feel it is a cardinal sin of the highest order to ask a journalist to report for duty at 7am.
Suffice it to say, I hadn’t woken this early in several months. After barely two hours of sleep following an intense shift at work, I was hoping to catch the winter sun but was instead greeted with pitch darkness.
The PNS Akram jetty near Gwadar port manned by Pak Marines and Naval SSG.
I was asked to report at Naval Headquarters Karachi at day break. Running late, I didn’t reach the Naval HQ until a little after 8:00am. The journalist troupe had already left for the Naval airbase but luckily arrangements were hastily made to take me to PNS Mehran.
0830hrs: The Navy’s newly-commissioned ATR transport aircraft was fuelled and ready to take off. I was the last civilian to board the plane.
When the ATR was airborne, it afforded all of us passengers a misty aerial view of Karachi. The flying experience was luxurious compared to the Hercules C-130, a rough and rowdy beast belonging to the Air Force.
With comfortable seats and a spacious aisle, the ATR is nothing short of a commercial passenger jet. The Navy had purchased the ATRs two years ago, a crew member told us.
"They need certain modifications and upgrading after which they will be able to conduct sea surveillance."
The hour-long flight from Karachi to Pasni was punctuated with tea, announcements and intervals.
0930hrs: We had to land in Pasni because the Gwadar airport was closed for maintenance. It was like landing in absolute wilderness: Balochistan’s coastal belt is filled with sand dunes and dusty planes.
We were then transported to the Naval Officers’ Mess, also known as the wardroom, to "freshen up" before the two-hour bus ride to Gwadar.
Despite the dismal dunes of Pasni, the lavatory at our disposal was lavish.
At this point, Gwadar was still 45km away as suggested by a milestone along the coastal highway.
The single-lane highway is a marvel. An economic lifeline for local residents and businesses, it provides access to the coastal belt from other cities and has brightened prospects for tourism in the province — as is evident from the number of Karachiites who visit Balochistan’s beaches.
1200hrs: Landing in Gwadar was nothing short of a surprise, which is an underdeveloped, dusty coastal town.
Contrary to my expectations, Gwadar — which is the main block of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project — is yet to benefit from the development propagated through paid media content.
The Gwadar port is far from operational. I noticed there is no adequate multi-lane road leading to the port. The best way to access it is through a narrow, crowded market where traffic jams are regular features.
As we navigated our way through the city, our liaison officer on the trip pointed towards a superstore (poorly-stocked by Karachi standards) and said, "This is the best shop we have in Gwadar."
The picture of Gwadar’s development was pretty much complete for me after this.
Unfortunately, I still had to attend a high-level briefing on this very subject later that day.
1230hrs: The Naval Mess in Gwadar, which sits atop a hill a few hundred feet above sea level, lives up to national military standards.
The Gwadar port and the beach make for breathtaking sights when viewed from the top of the cliff.
We were served Hi-Tea upon arrival and then asked to gulp it down because the briefing had started.
It was difficult to choose between a hard-earned cup of tea after a long road trip and a briefing on the already-evident "development" in Gwadar. I took my cup of tea to the briefing room.