A.Rafay
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ISLAMABAD: Policy planners and maritime experts here in the federal capital have sought urgent development and operationalisation of the Gwadar Port in the face of major regional and economic challenges.
Why is the federal government ignoring the Gwadar Port option? an expert associated with a major think tank in Islamabad asked. Is it due to some political considerations or pressure from some political groups? Whatever the case may be, it is time that we made the budding port operational.
The expert reiterated that Gwadar was a strategic project which could not be overlooked because of political concerns or minor threat from some ragtag militia. Given the motivation, the government can sort out any type of pressure, even strong regional pressures on the port issue.
Deliberating on its importance, the expert said that Gwadar was identified as a site suitable for a port by a team of US Geological Survey in 1954.
On March 20, 2007, former President General Pervez Musharraf had inaugurated the port, which was to become one of the worlds largest deep sea ports, along with the Chinese communication minister. Subsequently, however, the government failed to build and connect the port with CARs and Afghanistan and provide land to a Singaporean firm for industrial zone.
The foreign firm failed to invest $525 million it had promised and the project came to a standstill. Now the port is being used only for transportation of bulk cargo like wheat and urea.
Another expert, a retired official, said that the importance of Karachi or its port, some 290 miles west of the new port, would not be diminished if Gwadar became fully operational.
We should have made the alternate port functional decades ago after the lessons we learnt from the attack on our Keamari installations in 1971. Therefore, work on the port should not be delayed now.
He emphasized the importance of the Gwadar Port, pointing out that its location near the Strait of Hormuz, home to some 70 percent of world oil reserves, proximity to landlocked Central Asian States and busy shipping lanes gave it an unparalleled significance. He added that an operational port would also provide thousands of job opportunities to local people.
Maritime experts call for development of Gwadar Port - thenews.com.pk
Why is the federal government ignoring the Gwadar Port option? an expert associated with a major think tank in Islamabad asked. Is it due to some political considerations or pressure from some political groups? Whatever the case may be, it is time that we made the budding port operational.
The expert reiterated that Gwadar was a strategic project which could not be overlooked because of political concerns or minor threat from some ragtag militia. Given the motivation, the government can sort out any type of pressure, even strong regional pressures on the port issue.
Deliberating on its importance, the expert said that Gwadar was identified as a site suitable for a port by a team of US Geological Survey in 1954.
On March 20, 2007, former President General Pervez Musharraf had inaugurated the port, which was to become one of the worlds largest deep sea ports, along with the Chinese communication minister. Subsequently, however, the government failed to build and connect the port with CARs and Afghanistan and provide land to a Singaporean firm for industrial zone.
The foreign firm failed to invest $525 million it had promised and the project came to a standstill. Now the port is being used only for transportation of bulk cargo like wheat and urea.
Another expert, a retired official, said that the importance of Karachi or its port, some 290 miles west of the new port, would not be diminished if Gwadar became fully operational.
We should have made the alternate port functional decades ago after the lessons we learnt from the attack on our Keamari installations in 1971. Therefore, work on the port should not be delayed now.
He emphasized the importance of the Gwadar Port, pointing out that its location near the Strait of Hormuz, home to some 70 percent of world oil reserves, proximity to landlocked Central Asian States and busy shipping lanes gave it an unparalleled significance. He added that an operational port would also provide thousands of job opportunities to local people.
Maritime experts call for development of Gwadar Port - thenews.com.pk
