KARACHI: New Gwadar Airport is targeted to be completed in June 2023 but question is after its completion and inauguration how it will be used and by whom? Gwadar is known to be largest Airport in country. Irony is that we have yet not established any industrial or commercial infrastructure in that region. During past four years, PTI government and bureaucratic red-tapism had completely shut down work on all CPEC projects including Gwadar.

 According to latest developments, ML-1 Railway project is to be constructed by China under second phase of CPEC. ML-1 railway project is expected to be most modern and speedy starting right from Gwadar not only to Chinese border province but going up to other provinces and neighbouring states like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, etc. for expansion of trade opportunities. This is going to be seriously second phase of CPEC for which groundwork is underway.

 However, according to analysts, state of affairs on our side is not very encouraging. They disclosed that after 2011 Chinese economic growth adopted a jet speed and it crossed American economic growth.

They are four times bigger than Japanese economic power.  Study shows that 1.4 billion populations in China are 20 percent of world. To feed this huge volume they attracted investors from all over world by offering free land and other facilities. Japanese and Taiwanese (even being enemy states) investors started coming. They installed popular brand manufacturing plants in China and exported them world over. Chinese learned and adopted latest technologies from those investors and developed their own brands having competitive qualities and launched their brands at concessional prices in world. That is role model we should adopt. 

But hard fact is that there is no water in Gwadar, how could you invite an investor there to spend his money without availability of water? Similarly, there is no electricity. We have made roads there but lack water and power. Presently Pakistan is using 300 MW of electricity borrowed from Iran. Water could be obtained from sea or brought from 500 km away while more power is available from neighbouring Iran but it demands handsome amounts to pay.

 On other hand, ‘Gabd’ is nearest Iranian border attached to Gwadar, it is opened last year so that passengers and goods could be moved easily and reaches Chabahar Airport and seaport which is not more than 80 km away. From there one can catch a flight to Tehran. This is more nearest than Taftan which is 500 km away from Quetta.  Another interesting fact is that our government wants to rehabilitate Karachi Circular Railway but question is where it should be run and formed while there is no land available for project. Analysts say that everything has a price.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 22 2022

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