Gwadar Deep Sea Port: Gwadar was once a fishing village on the Arabian Sea coast in Balochistan province and some 72 kilometers from the Iranian border. It is situated about 400km from the Strait of Hormuz, a major conduit for global oil supplies. More than 13 million bbl/d of oil pass through the Strait. It is strategically located between three increasingly important regions: the oil-rich Middle East, heavily populated South Asia and the economically emerging and resource-laden region of Central Asia. Pakistan identified Gwadar as a port site in 1964. However, it was only in 2001 that significant steps were taken with the help of Chinese assistance in the construction and development of the deep-sea port.
The total cost of the project is estimated at US$1.16 billion, of which China has contributed about $198 million for the first phase for construction of three multi-purpose ship berths. China has also invested another $200 million toward building a highway connecting Gwadar port with Karachi. Pakistan has invested more than $2 billion to upgrade Gwadar and in the completion of related development programmes in the last two years. The provincial Government of Balochistan itself is spending Rs 4.5 billion in Gwadar. ARSLAN KHALID