The main Role played by Pakistan Army by taken all measures to ensure the event goes success and I must say they were very nice by facilitating all visitors who had visited the expo . If Pakistan Army was not there , it is not possible to have such event goes successful . We are honor and glad to be Pakistani and special thanks to Pakistan army who has facilitated CPECB members and other visitors to their best . It was a start where not only Pakistani business community but international business community will take part
Additionally CPECB Member @tariqgul Director of Pak Afghan Cargo has made contract with COPHC and buy land in Gwadar Free Zone – He is one of the businessman who received this opportunity in Expo with the help of CPECB Network . We wish him a very fruitful benefit in investment in Gwadar Free Zone .
CPECB Member Tariq Gul – Signing Contract with China Overseas Port Holding Company on Gwadar Expo – He is one businessman who had Contract with COPHC
One of our Member Mass Human Resources and chairperson of OPAL Had its Stall in Expo – @masshrs and @noorafsha where they are only one who has share culture of Baluchistan as local and share dresses and other handicraft products in Gwadar 1st Expo .
We as CPECB growing rapidly with only genuine businessman and facilitating our member through right channel and track they need . We wish all our members a very fruitful ventures .
@hamzabintariq Hamza Bin Tariq had a detail discussion of the Expo with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi , Prof Ahsan Iqbal , Military Officials and other govt officials. He emphasized that Pakistani businessmen should be given the opportunity to link up with prospective Chinese companies to enhance trade between them rather than the focus be on Chinese companies only.
GWADAR: The Gwadar Development Authority along with China Overseas Ports Holding Company is all set to jointly hold the ‘Gwadar Expo 2018” on January 29-30, providing an unparalleled opportunity for Pakistani and Chinese companies to strengthen their business linkages.
“The event, with launch of first phase of Free Economic Zone, will provide a big boost to the economic activities of Pakistan and China,” Director General Gwadar Development Authority Dr Sajjad Baloch told APP on Saturday.
The mega event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on January 29, with high-ups of Chinese government and businessmen of the two countries in attendance.
Dr Sajjad said the first phase of Free Economic Zone spread over 60 acres would be operated by China Overseas Port Holding Company, which has also set up a Business Centre for handling of operations.
The business centre will provide a one-window operation for matters including immigration, customs, visa operations and port clearance facilities.
He said Gwadar Expo 2018 will prove as a platform for Chinese and Pakistani business leaders to learn more about opportunities related to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and interact with key government officials.
He mentioned that around 100 stalls have been set up at the Expo and a large number of Chinese investors have arrived in the port city for participation.
This two-day conference and exhibition will highlight the success of companies already working on CPEC related projects, and provide detailed concrete information about opportunities for industrial cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani businessmen.
“The CPEC will play important role in economic development in Pakistan and the region. Therefore, it has been a dreamland for global investors,” Chairman Zhang Baozhong of China Overseas Port Holding Company said in his message.
He said a fully equipped modern industrial park completed within a year, attracting more than 30 companies with a total investment of more than US$ 1 billion was a strong proof of the confidence of the investors in Gwadar.
“The once desolated, neglected Gwadar is gradually showing its economic potentials and will benefit the local people,” he said.
He expressed confidence that friends participating this event would have a clear picture of Gwadar development plan, find opportunities in it and enter into cooperation agreements as the result of Gwadar EXPO 2018. The core objectives of holding Gwadar Expo 2018 is to highlight the significance of Gwadar and to promote Gwadar Port and Gwadar Free zone as emerging business hub.
The purpose is also to create maximum awareness about the full scope of Gwadar projects and to provide a platform of interaction between local and foreign business entrepreneurs.
The event will bring at one stage the financiers, investors, entrepreneurs and government officials to exploit the benefits of this mega project for enhanced investment, business and employment opportunities.
Road trips are the best way to discover a land, and Pakistan, with its geographical diversity and opportunities, makes it ideal for a road trip adventure. However, this aspect is largely overlooked with negative news and views engulfing us.
Sometime back I went on a three-day trip from Karachi to Gwadar and I can, without doubt, say that it was the most eye-opening and memorable trip for years to come. Therefore, I thought that it would be great to share this fabulous part of Pakistan with others. The one-way trip is 650 km long and takes about seven hours to cover.
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>Destination Gwadar Expo – Gwadar Port Authority
25°06’28.9″N 62°20’21.4″E
Leaving Karachi
Leaving Karachi on a fine morning, you head towards Hub. Hub is an industrial centre of the country located just within the perimeters of Balochistan.
Leaving the town of Hub, you pass the Sonmiani ridges and beaches on opposite sides. Approximately 90km from Hub is where you reach the ‘Zero Point’, where you move onto the Makran Coastal Highway.
From Zero Point to Kund Malir
Once on the Makran Coastal Highway, the landscape changes. For half an hour or so, on both sides are vast flat lands with some instances of green, cultivated fields. However, soon the landscape becomes delightful and interesting as you leave the plains behind entering into the Makran Range.
The first attraction is on the left side where there are various active mud volcanoes out of which the most prominent are, Chandragupt I and II.
Travelling an extra hour, you reach the serene Kund Malir beach, a rising weekend destination for Karachiites. The sand at Kund Malir is extremely clean as compared to the beaches of Karachi and the greenish-blue sea shines in the sunlight all day long. A number of dolphins can also be spotted here jumping out and diving back into the water.
Kund Malir to Ormara
The gradient of the road changes rising towards the highest point on the Coastal Highway, the Buzi Pass. Cruising through mountains on both sides of the road, it is a surreal experience. Sea and wind erosion have chiseled rocks into interesting and grotesque rock formations scattered across the area.
One such example is the Princess of Hope, named by Angelina Jolie during her visit in 2002. However, the gradient becomes flattered near the town of Ormara. The hammerhead rock jutting into the sea is one of its salient features.
Ormara to Gwadar
Ormara is about halfway on the Karachi to Gwadar journey. Activity in Ormara, like other towns in the area, centers around fishing. Therefore, it is a suitable place for a stopover for lunch or just for the purpose of breaking the journey.
In between Ormara and Pasni lies the Buzi Makola Wildlife Sanctuary, which is an inlet of the sea and a haven for migratory birds coming from Siberia in search of warm waters during winters. It is of particular interest to birdwatchers and photographers alike.
Near Pasni, the area is again hilly all the way till Gwadar. Pasni is also second only to Gwadar in terms of fishing industry in Balochistan.
Gwadar
Right now is probably the best time to visit Gwadar and witness it in its developing stages and its relatively raw feel. There are various attractions in Gwadar such as the hammerhead, Omani Fort, boat-making yard and the Gwadar Port.
Gwadar is unique in the sense that it has two large bays. The East Bay is where the Deep Sea Port is located. The city is exposed to the sea from three different directions thus, shaped like a neck. Gwadar also has two hills, the Koh-e-Mehdi and the Koh-e-Batil.
Jiwani
The last town before the Pak-Iran border is Jiwani. It is a great place to visit for its spectacular sunsets. Visitors can also see the Queen Victoria hut maintained by the Pakistan Coastguards and built on her orders during World War II.
During the war, Jiwani had over 20 airfields where British pilots came to rest and refuel. Some of these can still be visited and have historical markings and name tags of British pilots. The sea here is quiet shallow, in fact, I spotted a number of motorcycles being driven on the sea with fishermen attaching their boats to them and hauling them in!
Pishukan — the highlight of the trip
Pishukan is a scenic place which, unfortunately, hardly gets any tourists. It is located at about a half an hour’s drive from Gwadar and is a small town along the sea where the population depends on fishing. In the future, it is planned that the Gwadar Jetty will be shifted here.
Driving to the top of the cliff near the coast is a majestic experience to say the least. The crystal clear waters and vibrant fishing boats make a sight to behold. On the other side of the road is a desert landscape with rippled, rolling sand dunes blowing over the tarmac. In addition, the track to Ganz village reveals mesmerizsing cliffs and table-top mountains. Ganz village itself is fabled for the blonde hair, blue-eyed and fair complexioned people who are believed to be of Portuguese descent.
Climate of Gwadar
The climate of Gwadar is located at 0 metres (0 ft)–300 metres (984 ft) meters above sea level, features dry and hot arid climate. The oceanic influence keeps the temperature lower than that in the summer and higher in winter. The mean temperature in the hottest month of June remains between 31 °C (88 °F) and 32 °C (90 °F). The mean temperature in the coldest month of January varies from 18 °C (64 °F) to 19 °C (66 °F). The uniformity of temperature is a unique characteristic of the coastal region in Balochistan. Occasionally, winds moving down the Balochistan plateau bring cold spells, otherwise, the winter is pleasant. In Gwadar, winter is shorter than summer. Gwadar’s weather is identical to that of the Middle East as most rain occurs from December till January. The highest rainfall of 227 millimetres (8.9 in) in 24 hours was recorded on 6 June 2010.
Accommodation and security
Earlier, when people visited Kund Malir, they couldn’t spend the night there due to the lack of accommodation services. However, now a 20-room hotel has been built, with room costing around Rs3,000. But it could be higher on Expo time
Gwadar, on the other hand, has various hotels and places for staying. The security situation is stable, contrary to popular belief about the area. The entire length of the highway is safeguarded by Pakistan Coastguards’ check posts and watchtowers. The fact that a restaurant in Ormara is run by a Pathan from Chaman reflects the safe and harmonious conditions that prevail within the region.
KARACHI: Gwadar Port will be formally operational and open to the world by end of next month and there will be a first international expo at Gwadar on January 29-30 to project the potential of Gwadar, mainly of Special Economic Zone.
Gwadar Port is a deep-sea international port with draught of more than 18 meters.
Mother ships can easily anchor at the port.
Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo also revealed that his ministry in next couple of weeks would float tender for the construction of much talked about and long-awaited mega project of Elevated Expressway — linking Keamari, West and East Wharf to Northern Bypass. This would be operative in next two years.
He was speaking at a meeting of FPCCI Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping, here on Monday, which was attended by number of senior businessmen and officials of Ministry of Ports and Shipping, and of Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, Gwadar Port and Gwadar Development Authority.
Chairman Chinese Overseas Ports Holding Company was prominent at this event, organized by Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Ports and Shipping minister invited private sector of the country to come ahead and operate ferry services within or outside the country including Chabahar Port, Dubai or Qatar.
The government would never operate any ferry service. It was the job for the local private sector. The government would only support and facilitate the businessmen, he said.
He stressed the local investors to lead in the development of associated facilities to Gwadar Port, Gwadar City and Special Economic Zone there, and other CPEC linked mega projects in Balochistan. Also, the local businessmen could set up resorts and entertainment facilities along the coastal highway, at Ormara and Gwadar.
The Chairman, Chinese Overseas Ports Holding Company, appreciated the support and cooperation from Pakistan government and Balochistan government, Pakistan Army and the civilian population in successfully carrying forward/executing the Gwadar Port and associated facilities.