Gwadar: Pakistan's Strategic Maritime Hub on the Arabian Sea

Gwadar is a port town situated on the Arabian Sea in coastal Baluchistan. It is located on a hammerhead-shaped peninsula featuring Gwadar West Bay and Gwadar East Bay. The area consists mainly of flat land with two hills, Koh-e-Batil and Koh-e-Mehdi. Koh-e-Batil's maximum height is 449 ft at the head of the peninsula, and Koh-e-Mehdi's height is 1,112 ft to the east of the city. For many centuries, Gwadar was under the control of various regional and colonial states and, since 1958, under the administration of Pakistan.

Strategically, Gwadar sits at the heart of the Arabian Sea near the entrance to the Gulf of Oman. The city is becoming a major commercial center and a key transit point for Chinese timber and oil. Gwadar is one of the few cities in Pakistan with airports, like Faisalabad, Jauharabad, and Islamabad. For administration, the district is divided into subdivisions: Gwadar and Pasni. Each is further split into tehsils and sub-tehsils. The Gwadar subdivision includes two tehsils, Gwadar and Jiwani, and one sub-tehsil, Suntsar. The Pasni subdivision includes two tehsils, Pasni and Omara. The 600 km coastline and uncultivated stretches in the Kulanch and Dansht valleys have always played a key role in Makran's history.

Repression in Gwadar and Balochistan dates back to ancient times. The area shows signs of Bronze Age settlements, with villages built near local oases. Later, the region was called Makran because its people were known as Moka or Maka, a name that evolved to Makran. The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, later conquered the area. After Alexander's empire fell, Seleucus Nicator took control around 303 BCE.

In 711 CE, Muhammad bin Qasim captured Gwadar. After that, different powers ruled the region, including the Mughals from the East and the Safavids from the West. Following Muhammad bin Qasim’s conquest, the region faced struggles for dominance and changing rulers. This time is regarded as the Islamic era of Gwadar’s history. In 1581, the Portuguese took over and burned and sacked the town.

After the Portuguese attack, different Baloch tribes ruled locally for nearly two hundred years. Big changes came in the late 18th century. In the 15150s, Ottoman Admiral Sayed Ali Reas described the Gwadar tribes as Baloch under Malik Dinar. In 1783, the Khan of Kalat defeated the governor of Muscat and continued his rule in Gwadar. He appointed a wali (governor) for the town. The Gwadar fort was later built during Omani rule.

Pakistan bought Gwadar from Oman in exchange for $3 million on September 8, 1958, after which the town was officially incorporated into Pakistan. At that time, Gwadar was a small and poorly developed village with an estimated population of a few thousand. In July 1977, the Pakistani government joined Gwadar into Baluchistan as the District Headquarters of the newly established Gwadar District. Gwadar District was created by the Pakistani administration in 2002 and the Gwadar port was launched as a priority project. The plan's main goal was to build industrial complexes and connect the town using modern highways with the remainder of Pakistan. In 1993, the government constructed a deep sea port in Gwadar, connected to Pakistan's highways and rail network. The first phase was completed at the end of 2004.

To establish a modern maritime port, construction began on December 22, 2002, and the initial phase was completed in December 2005. Gwadar port began operations in 2009. Strategically, Gwadar occupies a crucial position among the oil-rich Middle East, populous South Asia, and rapidly developing Central Asia. The port was inaugurated in spring 2007 by Pervez Musharraf with Chinese communications minister Li Sunshine in attendance. The port became fully operational in 2008. In 2008, the first ship to dock brought 52000 tonnes of hats and other merchandise to Canada. Gwadar port is forecast to generate billions in revenue and create at least two million new jobs. In 2007, Pakistan leased port operations to PSA Singapore for 25 years and granted a 40-year tax-free status. According to the 1998 census, Gwadar’s population was 178989, comprising 93% Muslims and a Hindu minority. By 2005, the population exceeded 250000.