Islamabad, Aug 19: When Gwadar was purchased from Oman in year 1958, no one but few could realise its importance at that time. It remained dormant for next fifty-five years and gained its prominence, still not to its zenith, only in year 2013 when China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was conceived and put into place. Gwadar was termed as the Jewel in the Crown of CPEC, which until now very few understand. Gwadar is on its way to gain further importance amid the geo-political happenings around the world in general and in our region in particular.
When CPEC was devised, it was planned to join land routes between China and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. The most plausible way of doing it was via Gwadar, a serene port on western flank of Pakistani coast; the Makran coast. It had already been developed by Singapore Port Authority who just could not operationalise it as expected. The agreement between Pakistan and Singapore Port Authority was passed on to China Port Holding Company (COPHC) as it is. On 16th of May 2013, COPHC took over the control of Gwadar Port and Gwadar Free Zone for 40 years. The COPHC along with its subsidiaries Gwadar International Terminals Ltd.(GITL), Gwadar Marine Services Ltd. (GMSL) and Gwadar Free Zone Company Ltd. (GFZL) commenced development of facilities required to run the port in an efficient manner.
Since the land component of CPEC (roads and bridges) already existed in some form and needed to be either refurbished or expanded, considerable work was needed to be carried out on its sea component i.e. Gwadar port, its land linkage and seaward approaches. Three major projects were undertaken, besides various minor ones, which included South and North Free Zones, Eastbay Expressway and New Gwadar International Airport. All were focussed on improving port operations and connectivity. The 6-lane expressway along with a provision of 30 meters wide railway corridor connects the port with the Makran Coastal Highway (N-20) through the 2281 acres Free Trade Zone of Gwadar Port. It is 18.5km beautiful road of which 14.5km is offshore; first and only so far in Pakistan.
New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA) is one of the biggest airports in size in Pakistan. Its runway can accommodate airplanes as big as A380. The airport has a terminal and all allied facilities for its smooth operations. Test flights on the runway have been carried out successfully and the airport is set to be operationalised. The NGIA will open new vistas of connectivity of Gwadar not only inland but also to other parts of the region. The operationalisation and efficacy of Gwadar port is partly contingent upon the western route being developed. There are certain security impediments also but those are being taken care of. Pending complete development of the western route, NGIA can serve well to supplement Gwadar port for transportation of goods to and from China. Additionally, it can serve as a conduit for Central Asian Republics, Gulf, West Asia and Far East. Besides, the NGIA, with latest facilities can be a strong incentive not only for the domestic travellers but from China as well.
The NGIA has in fact added another dimension to the overall concept of CPEC which is usually considered as the sea, rail and road network. The NGIA has added air component to the CPEC; a significant incorporation to make CPEC more viable for not only China and Pakistan but also for the region and beyond. Pakistan which is trying to attract foreign investment and increase in its trade volume can benefit from this aerial route to regional countries by trading agricultural products, fresh sea-food, textile, leather goods and many other items. Hence, aerial connectivity element of CPEC must be utilized in due course of time.
The NGIA is about 26km east of Gwadar city and has an area of 4300 acres which is going to be one of the biggest in Pakistan. It has been a part of $56bn package that China is investing in CPEC. The airport has been developed under the guidance of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) and will be operated under open sky policy. Although it has missed its initial timeline, primarily because of Covid-19, yet its construction was spearheaded by the Chinese engineers at a face pace so that it could become a viable third component of CPEC. Gwadar city already had an airport which was incapacitated to handle larger aircraft.
Therefore, airplanes up to ATR and Fokker could only use Gwadar airport. Also, night landing facility was added to the old airport only few years back. These impediments hindered frequent flights to and from Gwadar and only PIA mainly operated on Karachi-Gwadar sector. With the commissioning of NGIA, other airlines will be incentivised to operate, connecting other cities of Pakistan to Gwadar, hence there is lot more movement expected via this airport.
Adequate lodging facilities are available at Gwadar which are seeking occupancy. Since regular and bigger planes were not available, very less number of passengers travelled to Gwadar despite its incredible scenic beauty. Road travelling to Gwadar via Makran Coastal Highway is a treat to enjoy, but the passage is devoid of requisite facilities required for safe and pleasant travel. However, the inauguration of NGIA will offer a safe and pleasant journey to all ages. Its now up to the local administration of Gwadar to facilitate the inflow of passengers which is expected to rise especially during winters and reap the benefits of this new facility to the already enterprising CPEC.
Writer: Reema Shaukat (The writer is Communication Strategist at the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad and can be reached at reema.asim81@gmail.com)
