Located
at the enterance of the Persian Gulf and
about 460 kms from Karachi, Gwadar has immense
geostrategic significance on many accounts.
The continued unstable regional environment
in the Persian Gulf in particular as a result
of the Iran/Iraq war, the Gulf war and the
emergence of the new Central Asian States
has added to this importance. Considering
the Geo-economic imperative of the regional
changes, the ADB’s Ports Master Plan
studies considered an alternate to the Persian
Gulf Ports to capture the transit trade
of the Central Asian Republic (CAR) as well
as the trans-shipment trade of the region.
Both Karachi and PQA were considered for
such development but were found unattractive
to major shipping lines due to the remoteness
from the main shipping routes, the limitations
of draft for mother ships and large bulk
oil carriers and the comparative long turn
around times. The ADB studies, however considered
Gwadar to have the most advantageous location
for such an alternative port in the region,
which could handle mother ships and large
oil tankers in due course. Keeping that
aspect in view as well as the inherent strategic
and economic benefits that Gwadar Port offered,
the transport plan of the 8th Five Year
Plan (1993-94) of Pakistan included the
development of Gwadar Port as an essential
element of its aims and objectives. Technical
and financial feasibilities therefore were
under taken resulting in decisions for the
development of Gwadar Port by the Govt.
of Pakistan. |
