Gwadar International Airport: Pakistan's Largest Infrastructural Marvel

P.c. CPEC Secretariat

China's Benevolent Contribution

China's support for the Gwadar International Airport project is a testament to its commitment to the overall infrastructure development of Balochistan. The airport will emerge as a modern and green-field facility, boasting cutting-edge amenities to ensure safe operations. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also inked for the construction of the Pakistan and China Vocational Training Institute and the Pak-China Friendship Hospital.
Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for their generous grant, recognizing the pivotal role it plays in fostering progress in Gwadar.

Empowering the Local Community

Prime Minister Imran Khan underscored the importance of development that directly benefits local communities. In contrast to past projects that often overlooked local residents, Khan stressed the significance of initiatives that enhance living standards. He cited the example of gas extraction in Sui, which, despite yielding billions of rupees, failed to uplift the local population.
Khan announced the launch of the Insaf Sehat Card, providing health insurance coverage worth Rs720,000 to every family. Additionally, efforts are underway to link the region with the national grid, ensuring a reliable power supply.

A Greener and Cleaner Gwadar

Gwadar's transformation extends to environmental initiatives, with plans for a desalination plant and the planting of one million saplings as part of the Clean and Green Pakistan campaign. A solid waste management system will be established to safeguard the area from pollution. Drawing inspiration from cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, the government intends to recycle water for plant irrigation.

Revolutionizing Railways

In a bid to enhance transportation, Prime Minister Khan revealed plans to connect Gwadar and Quetta through railways. Seeking Chinese support to upgrade railway lines, the goal is to introduce a high-speed rail link that will drastically reduce travel time between Karachi and Lahore to just four hours, a substantial improvement from the current 18-hour car journey or 21-hour bus ride.

CPEC Unveiled

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) takes center stage as a monumental part of China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, aiming to bolster global trade connectivity. CPEC represents China's commitment to invest approximately $56 billion in Pakistan, marking its most substantial overseas investment. This initiative encompasses a 3,218-kilometer route featuring highways, railways, and pipelines, connecting Gwadar Port to China's Xinjiang province. Beyond infrastructure, CPEC endeavors to generate 17,000 megawatts of electricity at a cost of around $34 billion, further bolstering Pakistan's energy sector and overall development.

Gwadar's Strategic Significance

The development of Gwadar Port, a cornerstone of CPEC, holds immense strategic importance, granting China a lasting presence in the Indian Ocean. Serving as a conduit for the Maritime Silk Route, it envisions linking three billion people across Asia, Africa, and Europe. CPEC is not only about infrastructure; it shapes the framework for strategic cooperation between China and Pakistan, fostering economic growth and regional connectivity through extensive road and railway networks and industrial development along the corridor.