Gwadar port remains functional well despite Coronavirus pandemic

Gwadar port remains functional despite Coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier, Western media suggested Chinese teams’ remain unable to return to their posts amid the pandemic.

But official sources dispelled this impression.

They said as a major project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the port is functioning well despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, Western media had gave an incorrect impression that the panddemic was stalling many Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects.

But Global Times report clarified that a large number of projects under the BRI, like the one in Gwadar, employ a limited number of Chinese staff.

It further said they rely on local employees for most roles there.

According to the latest head count, only two Chinese employees and 140 Pakistani employees are working at Gwadar Port.

A source close to senior management at the port’s operator told the Global Times that the port is functioning well.

The source said that Chinese workers have returned to their posts after having completed their 14-day self-imposed quarantine. However, the port’s operations have not halted

Due to nature of their business because they take turns to have some holidays.

The source added that while there is no negative impact on its operations.

But port cannot remain unaffected by the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on global shipping.

“Many ships drop by Gwadar after visiting a number of other ports first, and with global shipping being disrupted by the pandemic, there has been quite some re-routing and this has affected the port,” said the source.

Located in southwest province of Balochistan, Gwadar Port began to play a new role as economical transit stop and time-saving trade port for land-locked Afghanistan when it shipped fertilizer in January.

As Pakistan entered lockdown last week, the port followed relevant rules.

Besides, it put on hold some of the projects in the nearby Free Trade Zone.

Construction of a steel tube factory has been halted while a business center has been closed as precautions to stop the novel coronavirus from spreading.

Meanwhile, business development to attract foreign investors has also come to a temporary halt.

The port itself had remained sealed off to outsiders.

Authorities concerned also cut the number of non-essential visits to a minimum.

However, the pandemic unlikely to have a long-term impact on the port’s development.

Its development measured on a scale of years rather than months.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a recent interview with the Global Times that CPEC construction won’t be impacted in the long run, although in the short run it could face some slowdown.

He said as soon as we are over the hump of dealing with the coronavirus, I think we’ll be back on track.

He further said that after the temporary dip, things will come back quickly.

FM vowed that the entire region stands to benefit from the projects.