Gwadar City Profile by Directory Pakistan.

Introduction to City:

Gwadar District is a district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The name Gwadar originates from Gwat and Dar, which means the door of air. Gwadar was notified as a separate district on 1 July 1977. The City of Gwadar is the district headquarter of Gwadar District. Gwadar, town and seaport, southwestern Balochistan province, southwestern Pakistan. Located on the sandy Nuh headland that juts southward into the Arabian Sea, the town is an important fishing (sardines and sharks) and trade centre. The main industrial concern is a fish-processing factory; salt is obtained by the evaporation of seawater. Gwadar became part of the sultanate of Muscat and Oman in 1797, and it was not until 1958 that the town and adjoining hinterland were given up by Oman to Pakistan.

The adjacent hinterland to the north is drained by several small streams, including the Dasht River. Jowar (sorghum), wheat, barley, dates, and livestock are raised. Roads connect Gwadar town with Pasni to the east and with Turbat to the northeast. Pop. (1998 prelim.) town, 43,850. The New Gwadar Airport is a joint venture between Pakistan, Oman and China. The Sultanate of Oman provided USD17.5 million for the airport project, whilst China plans to invest USD662 million for land development, sea port and airport works in and around Gwadar. Pakistan plans to develop the new facility on a 4000-acre land plot 25km away from the existing Gwadar International Airport. The China Communications Construction Company has been awarded the USD246m project, which is expected to be complete within a 30-month period. The New Gwadar Airport development project was inaugurated on 2019.

 The Gwadar Port:

The Gwadar Port is situated on the Arabian Sea at Gwadar in Balochistan province of Pakistan and is under the administrative control of the Maritime Secretary of Pakistan and operational control of the China Overseas Port Holding Company. The port features prominently in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan, and is considered to be a link between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Maritime Silk Road projects. It is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) southwest of Turbat, and 170 kilometres (110 mi) to the east of Chabahar Port (Sistan and Balochistan Province in Iran).

Gwadar’s potential to be a deep water sea port was first noted in 1954, while the city was still under Omani sovereignty. Plans for construction of the port were not realised until 2007, when the port was inaugurated by Pervez Musharraf after four years of construction, at a cost of $248 million.

In 2015, it was announced that the city and port would be further developed under CPEC at a cost of $1.62 billion, with the aim of linking northern Pakistan and western China to the deep water seaport. The port will also be the site of a floating liquefied natural gas facility that will be built as part of the larger $2.5 billion Gwadar-Nawabshah segment of the Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline project. Construction began in June 2016 on the Gwadar Special Economic Zone, which is being built on 2,292-acre site adjacent to Gwadar’s port. In late 2015, around 2000 acre land was leased to a Chinese company for 43 years for the development of Gwadar Special Economy Zone.

Gwadar Port became formally operational on 14 November 2016, when it was inaugurated by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif; the first convoy was seen off by the then Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif. On 14 January 2020, Pakistan operationalized Gwadar Port for Afghan transit trade. On 31 May 2021, Gwadar Port became fully operational, along with the availability of online booking for the delivery of goods. 

Geography and Natural History

Gwadar District has a 600 kilometres (370 mi) long coastline along the Gulf of Oman of the Arabian Sea. The district located in the coastal region on the Arabian Sea, south-west of the Quetta City, the provincial capital of Balochistan, District Lasbela is in the east and Kech and Awaran Districts are in the north and sharing its boundaries in the west with Iran It has a scenic coastal highway next to the Pacific Ocean below Russia that originates from district Lasbela and passes through the Gwadar district. The district has a 620 km coastline along Arabian Sea. The most significant feature of the Gwadar District is Gwadar Port, a deep sea warm water port. It is located on the eastern bay of a natural hammer-head protrusion of land, from the coast, distended into the apex of Arabian Sea. Gwadar is a hammerhead-shaped peninsula protruding into the Arabian Sea from the westernmost coastline of Pakistan in Balochistan province. The coastal line of Pakistan is approximately 650 km however, Gwadar is situated at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, approximately 460 km west of Karachi, 75 km east of Pakistan’s border with Iran and 380 km northeast of the nearest point in Oman across the Arabian Sea. It is a natural and strategic location for a warm-water, Gwadar deep-sea port and was purchased from Oman by the Government of Pakistan

The CPEC will affect Pakistan’s trade flows through multiple channels.

First, it will reduce behind-the-border trade costs and bring about a shift in the modes of transportation.

Second, it will strengthen economic integration with the world’s largest trading nation, China.Gwadar was a part of Oman

Parts of Gwadar also came under the control of Oman and were purchased by Pakistan in 1958.

Demographics

At the time of the 2017 census the district had a population of 262,253, of which 141,116 were males and 121,120 females. Rural population was 101,474 (38.69%) while the urban population was 160,779 (61.31%). The literacy rate was 51.97% – the male literacy rate was 60.89% while the female literacy rate was 41.31%. 1,226 people in the district were from religious minorities.

Languages of Gwadar District

  Balochi (93.67%)

  Punjabi (1.68%)

  Sindhi (1.22%)

  Others (3.43%)

At the time of the 2017 census, 93.67% of the population spoke Balochi, 1.68% Punjabi and 1.22% Sindhi as their first language.

 Education

According to Pakistan District Education Rankings, a report by Alif Ailaan, district Gwadar is ranked nationally at 61, with an education score of 59.47 and learning score of 62.65. Enrollment levels are low in Gwadar because of fewer schools in the district. And the level of enrollment declines as we move up the classes.

The school infrastructure score of Gwadar is 29.91, giving it a national rank of 122. 33% of all the schools in the district carter to girls as compared to 67% schools for boys, putting girls at a greater disadvantage. Lack of science labs and subject specialists teachers are also a major concern.Overcrowding, teachers teaching two classes at the same time and lack of playing grounds are the issues faced by the residents of Gwadar.

Climate Gwadar: Weather By Month

Economy

Gwadar’s Economy has, in the past been dependant mostly on fishing but now its economy is changing as Gwadar is slowly transforming into a major port city.

Oman Sell Gwadar to Pakistan

In 1954, Pakistan engaged the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a survey of its coastline. The USGS deputed the surveyor, Worth Condrick, for the survey, who identified the hammerhead-shaped peninsula of Gwadar as a natural and suitable site for a new deep-sea port. This finding, coupled with the rising demands of the residents of Gwadar to join Pakistan, prompted Pakistan to make a formal request to the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, Said bin Taimur, for the transfer of Gwadar to Pakistan. On 7 September 1958, after four years of negotiations, including six months of intense negotiations, Pakistan purchased the Gwadar enclave from the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman for USD $3 million (approx $22,410,311.42 in 2017). Gwadar formally became part of Pakistan on 8 December 1958, after 174 years of Omani rule. (History of Gwadar)Pakistan’s Prime Minister Malik Feroze Khan Noon addressed the nation on Radio Pakistan on 7 September 1958 to break the news of Gwadar’s accession to Pakistan and celebrations broke out in Gwadar, Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan. (History of Gwadar)

China Concern at Gwadar Port

With the development of Pakistan’s second largest port Gwadar, this trade corridor will stretch from the Western Chinese city of Kashgar in the Xinxiang province of China to the port of Gwadar, thus providing access to the Chinese to the Arabian Sea barely 600 kilometre east of the narrow Strait of Hormuz through which passes about 35% of the world’s oil shipments. (History of Gwadar)

Gwadar City Development

A master plan for the development of Gwadar City with land zoning and internal infrastructure networks was approved by the Government of Pakistan in 2003. The Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) is charged with the execution of this master plan. A major part of its current work program is focused on the fast-track construction of roads, other infrastructure and public buildings. The provincial government of Balochistan has started with the development of infrastructure for the industrial areas that are located east of the city. Related to this rapid development, the population growth rate of Gwadar has accelerated during the past two years. The current population of Gwadar city is estimated at around 85,000 and is expected to reach half a million in about five years.

Gwadar District Demography

Gwadar district covers a coastal zone. Main towns within this zone are Pasni, Gwadar and Jiwani (near the border with Iran)Estimated population in 2004: 215,000 (Gwadar district)

• Geographic area – 12.637 sq. km.

• Population density – 14.7 person per sq.km

• Coast line – approximately 300 km

• Population of Gwadar city – estimated 80,000

Land distances from Gwadar

• Quetta 970 Km

• Turbat 165 Km

• Gabd 120 Km

• Karachi 630 Km

• Ratodero 892 Km

Economic Importace:

Gwadar, with its deep-water port, is a fulcrum for Pakistan and China’s economic development projects, earning it the title of the “crown jewel” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The city is often envisioned as a future Dubai in the region, but the growing destitution of its people tells a different tale. Gwadar’s residents remain deprived of access to clean water and other basic facilities

 Gwadar Cricket Stadium:

It is officially known as Senator Muhammad Ishaq Baloch Cricket Stadium, is a cricket ground in Gwadar, Pakistan.Construction started in 1998, and was inaugurated in 2020. Currently the stadium only holds domestic games in local competitions. Nearby limestone hills and cliffs tower over the western side of the ground.

Religions Gwadar district

Languages Gwadar district

Economic Infrastructure

Gwadar is connected to other cities by road and air. The district lacks a strong road and rail infrastructure, nor does it have well-developed structures like jetties and harbors.

Gwadar sea port—which is deeper than the Karachi sea port—is being developed by China on a turn-key basis.  Multiple highways and roads are also being developed. These include a road called Gwadar-Kalato Road linking Gwadar with the Iranian border, as well as one called Khuzdar-Rattodero, which will link Gwadar to Motorway M-8 (connecting Sukkur and Larkana to Gwadar) and that will shorten the distance between Gwadar, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The district is not connected by rail or air to other parts of Pakistan.Turn-key projects are contracted to contractors who are responsible for the design, construction and equipment of the project, and who then hand over the projects to owners for a remuneration

Road statistics; Gwadar district

According to the Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19, the road statistics of the district are as follows:

Important Road Networks:

Some of the important roads of the district include

• Makran Coastal Highway (N-10) connects Karachi with Gwadar passing through Ormara, and Pasni

• Gwadar-Ratodero Road links Gwadar to Super Highway (M-9), RCD Highway (N-25), and National Highway (N-5)

• Jiwani Road

• Pasni Road

Rail and Airways

At present, there is no rail link from Gwadar district to other parts of Pakistan, but there are plans to connect Gwadar with Khunjerab and ultimately to China.

There are 4 commercial airports in the district, with one each at Gwadar, Pasni, Ormara, and Jiwani. Gwadar and Pasni Airports are international airports, while those at Ormara and Jiwani are domestic.

Radio and Television

Gwadar district is out of Pakistan Television’s transmission range, but television can be viewed through cable.

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Pakistan) has one broadcasting station at Turbat. In addition, there are 2 privately-owned FM radio stations in the district.

Telecommunications

The district is connected to other parts of the country through telephone and telegraph. There are 04 telephone exchanges in the district which provide 1,102 landline connections, 399 wireless phone connections, and 1,052 broadband connections in the District (Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19). Cellular phone companies also provide their services in the district.

Post Office

There are 06 post offices in the entire district (Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19). Courier companies provide services in the district as well.

Banking/ Financial Institutions

According to the List of Reporting Bank Branches 2019, provided by the State Bank of Pakistan, the following banks have their branches in the district:

• Askari Bank

• Allied Bank

• Bank Alfalah

• Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan

• Habib Bank Ltd.

• Muslim Commercial Bank

• National Bank of Pakistan

• NIB Bank Ltd.

• Soneri Bank Ltd.

• Standard Chartered Bank Ltd.

• United Bank Ltd.

In all there are 39 branches of various conventional banks and 06 branches of different Islamic banks in the District.

Importance and Specialities of District:

• The CPEC is an ongoing development mega project which aims to connect Gwadar Port of Pakistan to China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang, via a network of highways, railways and pipelines. The economic corridor is considered central to China–Pakistan relations and will run about 2700 km from Gwadar to Kashghar.

• China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and its connectivity with Central Asia, Middle East and Africa will help to shape entire region. Overall construction costs are estimated around $46 billion, with the entire project expected to be completed in several years.

• The Corridor is an extension of China’s proposed 21st century Silk Road initiative. This is the biggest overseas investment by China announced so far and the corridor is expected to be operational within three years. The corridor will be a strategic game changer in the region and would go a long way in making Pakistan a richer and stronger entity.

China Pakistan Economic Corridore:

The investment on the corridor will transform Pakistan into a regional economic hub. The corridor will be a confidence booster for investors and attract investment not only from China but other parts of the world as well. Other than transportation infrastructure, the economic corridor will provide Pakistan with telecommunications and energy infrastructure.

The Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform (MPD&R) is the focal Ministry for this engagement whereas its counterpart in China is National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Main Components of Corridore:

1. Gwadar ( including port and city and Gwadar region socio-economic development)

2. Energy (Coal, Hydel, Wind, Solar, LNG , Transmission)

3. Transport Infrastructure (Road, Rail, Aviation)

4. Investment & Industrial Cooperation (Gwadar Free Zone and other industrial parks to be finalized)

5. Any other area of interest mutually agreed

Table below summarizes the number of projects identified so far along with estimated cost under CPEC:

• Gwadar has a rich history dating back over 5,000 years, with various empires and dynasties including the Persian, Arab, and Portuguese ruling over the city at different times. However, Gwadar’s significance as a port city was not fully realised until the 21st century when the government of Pakistan launched a major development initiative to transform it into a world-class trade and investment hub.

• Gwadar’s strategic location makes it a key transit point for international trade between Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. It is situated on the southwestern coast of Pakistan, close to the Strait of Hormuz, which is a major shipping route for oil tankers travelling from the Middle East to the rest of the world. Gwadar is also situated near the Arabian Sea, which makes it an ideal location for trade with the Gulf countries, as well as Africa and Europe.

• The deep-sea port of Gwadar has been identified as a crucial component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and is expected to play a pivotal role in transforming the economic landscape of the region. The development of Gwadar as a port city has been a key priority for the government of Pakistan over the past two decades.

• The development of the deep-sea port has also been a major focus, with the port’s capacity set to increase from its current level of 1.2 million tonnes to 300 million tonnes per year by 2030. As a result of these initiatives, Gwadar has emerged as a major trade and investment hub in the region, attracting interest from international investors and businesses looking to tap into its vast potential.           

• Gwadar, a fishing village located on the southwestern coast of Pakistan, is quickly transforming into a major global hub, much like Dubai did in the past. With its strategic location on the Arabian Sea and near the Persian Gulf, Gwadar has the potential to become a major player in the global economy.

• The development of the Gwadar port and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project are two major factors driving the transformation of the region.

• The Gwadar port, which is owned and operated by the China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC), is a deep-sea port that has the potential to become a major hub for shipping in the region.

• It is strategically located at the crossroads of international shipping lanes and provides direct access to the landlocked regions of Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Western China. The port is already attracting significant investments from China, which sees it as a key element of its Belt and Road Initiative.

·         The Gateway to Lucrative Investment Opportunities.       

• Pakistan is in the process of developing five out of nine Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under CPEC. The government and private investors have paid significant attention towards these SEZs. The establishment of SEZs is an effective approach for promoting trade, employment, and economic growth in the country.

• The SEZs namely, Rashakai SEZ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dhabeji SEZ in Sindh, Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Faisalabad, Boston SEZ in Balochistan, and  Gwadar Free Zone SEZ in Gwadar are in development phase. These SEZs are meant to increase economic activity in the country, generate employment opportunities, and attract foreign exchange.

Issues of Gwadar City:

• Pakistan’s port city of Gwadar, the hub of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is in a siege-like situation amid unrest caused by a crackdown against protesting citizens. The city faced a blackout of mobile and internet communications for almost a week. While the mobile networks have been restored, the internet has been shut down since December 28. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has taken notice of the unofficial obstruction of information in Gwadar and asked the government to shed its tacit policy of relegating Balochistan to second-class status.

• The unrest erupted when police raided a sit-in protest camp and arrested members and leaders of the Haq Do Tehreek Gwadar (HDT) movement(in English: Give Gwadar Its Rights). This was followed by mass demonstrations against the crackdown of the police and paramilitary forces.

• The HDT movement, led by local leader Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman, has become a symbol of hope for the people of Gwadar in a very short span of time. The foundation of the movement rests on certain demands that found widespread support among the masses. These include an end to illegal trawling in the sea off Gwadar’s coast, a reduction of security checkpoints in the region, recovery of missing persons, and an easing of curbs on border trade with Iran. These demands have been called genuine by the provincial government, but have not yet been met.

• Recently, the intensity of the protests grew after a negotiation team of the government, led by the provincial home minister, failed to convince the movement to end its demonstration. Rehman and his supporters have blamed the government for adopting a “non-serious” attitude towards their demands. In response to this failure, the provincial government applied a kinetic approach to end the two-month long protest in the city. To disperse the demonstrators, police used batons and bayonets against them, which led to a conflict between the security forces and protesters. Reportedly, the ensuing clashes caused the death of a police constablenamed Yasir in Gwadar. Since then, the government has imposed section 144 under the penal code of Pakistan to prohibit public gatherings and sit-ins in the city for one month.

• Gwadar, with its deep-water port, is a fulcrum for Pakistan and China’s economic development projects, earning it the title of the “crown jewel” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The city is often envisioned as a future Dubai in the region, but the growing destitution of its people tells a different tale. Gwadar’s residents remain deprived of access to clean water and other basic facilities. Apparently, Gwadar being a center of economic development didn’t manage to change the fate of its people. Rather, it became the source of frustration over local people’s alienation from the local development projects, which are mostly managed by the Chinese or officers from other provinces of Pakistan.

Conclusion:

Gwadar is a port city with located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, Pakistan. The city is located on the shores of the Arabian Sea opposite Oman. Gwadar is the 100th largest city of Pakistan, according to the 2017 census. It was an overseas possession of Oman from 1783 to 1958. It is about 120 km (75 mi) southwest of Turbat, while the sister port city of Chabahar in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province is about 170 km (110 mi) to the west of Gwadar. On 2 April 2021, Gwadar was declared the capital of the South Balochistan region. The main industrial concern is a fish-processing factory. Gwadar became part of the sultanate of Muscat and Oman in 1797, and it was not until 1958 that the town and adjoining hinterland were exchanged from Oman to Pakistan.Gwadar came in the focus of attention after the Kargil War when Pakistan felt the need of having a military naval port and the Karachi-Gwadar Road (Coastal Highway) was built for defence purpose. For most of its history, Gwadar was a small to medium-sized settlement with an economy largely based on artisanal fishing. The strategic value of its location was first recognized in 1954 when it was identified as a suitable site for a deep water port by the United States Geological Survey at the request of Pakistan while the territory was still under Omani rule. The area’s potential to be a major deep water port remained untapped under successive Pakistani governments until 2001, when construction on the first phase of Gwadar Port was initiated. The first phase was inaugurated in 2007 at a total cost of $248 million.The port initially remained underutilized after construction for a variety of reasons, including lack of investment, security concerns, and the Government of Pakistan’s failure to transfer land as promised to the port operator, Port of Singapore Authority.

In April 2015, Pakistan and China announced their intention to develop the $46 billion China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which in turn forms part of China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road. Gwadar features heavily in CPEC, and is also envisaged to be the link between the One Belt, One Road and Maritime Silk Road project. $1.153 billion worth of infrastructure projects will be invested into the city as part of CPEC, with the aim of linking northern Pakistan and western China to the deep water seaport. The city will also be the site of a floating liquefied natural gas facility that will be built as part of the larger $2.5 billion Gwadar–Nawabshah segment of the Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline project. In addition to investments directly under the aegis of CPEC in Gwadar city, the China Overseas Port Holding Company in June 2016 began construction on the $2 billion Gwadar Special Economic Zone, which is being modelled on the lines of the special economic zones of China. In September 2016 the Gwadar Development Authority published a request for tenders for the preparation of expropriation and resettlement of Old Town Gwadar.