The blunt truth is unfortunately not for at least two decades. People are not going to like what I say. But Karachi far from being the countries powerhouse is the centre of the national racket that stifles any prospect of Pakistani economy going the way Bangladesh has.
The port should be a facilitator like Bangla ports are. Instead Karachi has been turned into a huge bhatta tax factory. Geography from even before 1947 ordained that this port was the window to the world. This means today 220 million people breath, eat, drink through this window. For instance my cousin imported a car from UK. The car of course went by ship to the only port in Pakistan. Karachi. There money had to be paid so the car would be safely, expeditiously let through. This is example of bhatta tax. My bank account in Pakistan involved having to call the Karachi because HQ was there. Look at Pakistan Steel Mill for instance. You saw how many billions are lost. That mill literally has a golden location. Right next to Arabian Sea which means ships can bring in cheap coal. high quality iron ore and it would have 220 million as a hostage market. A guy wants to build a house in Bahria town, Islamabad the iron would be ordered from PS mill. Think about this. 220 million live market as hostage. Instead it became a money pit. Where did the money go? To Peshawar, to Multan? No, it went to workers and staff in Karachi. They just got paid money while they chilled at home. Where is the HQ of that hulking incompetence called PIA? Again easy jobs, easy money you know where. This city has become a bhatta tax capital of Pakistan that is strangling the entire 220 million people economy of Pakistan.
Gwadar? Yes in theory it should break Karachi's racket. But there is a problem. Over 100 years have been spent building rail and road connections from every corner of Pakistan to Karachi. Just look at the transport network of the entire country. It all geads south and terminates in Karachi.
So building a port in Gwadar will
not dislodge Karachi mafia. A massive efficient transport network or Western Corridor [see map below in red] has to be built from Gwadar to north and the 220 million people. Until then with the present Bhatta Tax corridor built over 100 years will keep the 220 million people hostage to the strangulation and rent seeking.
This will take billions of dollars and decades. The present alignment of the Western Corridor is mostly just desert and mountains.
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