ISLAMABAD: The government has stepped in to take immediate measures for dredging at the Gwadar Port in order to facilitate big ships to anchor.
Pakistan is one of the most strategically significant countries in the region. Its geostrategic position will play a vital role in the future regional economic outlook. For China, the strategic location of Pakistan is vital in formulating its future strategy in the region and, therefore, China and Pakistan have agreed on constructing an economic corridor from Gwadar to Kashghar.
Talking to WealthPK on the condition of anonymity, a Gwadar Port Authority official said, “China’s financial and technical support has enabled Pakistan to develop the Gwadar deep-sea port — a decades-long aspiration of the country’s political elite. Nowadays, Gwadar is considered the lynchpin of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and China is investing a great deal of resources into the local infrastructure and development.”
“In order to streamline the dredging operation, the government steps in to take immediate measures at the Gwadar port. Gwadar port construction is an important component of Pakistan’s overall initiative to facilitate trade and is visualized as becoming a regional hub serving commercial traffic,” he said.
He further explained, “Dredging removes sediment and other materials from the bottom of a body of water. Ports must dredge due to the natural build-up of sand and silt that occurs from rivers, currents, and streams moving around sand and particles.
Dredging also allows port expansion so that the growing shipping market may be accommodated, as there is no denying the fact that Gwadar port has the potential to draw in investors, generate employment opportunities, open up new doors for economic growth in the coastal region, and significantly boost national economic output,” he stated. He said the government was committed to bringing Balochistan on par with other parts of the country. The federal government has allocated Rs11.39 billion for 23 development projects in Gwadar in the Public Sector Development Program 2022-23, Rs1 billion for maintenance/dredging of Gwadar Port, and Rs684 million for two desalination plants combined. Additionally, 800 million has been allocated for rehabilitation of the old town of Gwadar. Moreover, Rs500 million has been allocated for providing 2,000 engines to the poor fishermen of Gwadar. The biggest allocation in the budget is Rs2 Billion for New Gwadar International Airport.
–INP
