First-ever ship loaded with Afghan Transit trade goods anchored at Gwadar port

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

With the arrival of the first bulk-cargo ship, carrying Afghan Transit trade goods, brought joy among all segments of population particularly the business community of Gwadar as well as bring overall prosperity in Balochistan province.

‘MV Manet’ carried wheat and urea for Afghan Transit trade and it was anchored at the Gwadar port this week. This marked the beginning of a new era in Pakistan’s trade by sea which will certainly boost economy, development and regional connectivity. 

While on the other hand it is considered a giant step to get maximum benefits from the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of BRI.  

Pakistan’s decision to allow Afghan traders to import goods via Gwadar port will boost bilateral trade and transit ties between the two countries, the Gwadar Prowebsite quoted Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Atif Mashal, as saying. 

Asim Saleem Bajwa, Special Assistant to Prime Minister, said that with the arrival of MV Manet, carrying wheat and urea of Afghan Transit trade at Gwadar port, a dream has come true for local economy as it will stimulate host of business activities.

Pakistan’s Commerce ministry has announced that is operationalized the Gwadar Port for Afghan Transit trade, marking a first in sea trade between the two countries. 

The trade business has commenced under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement-2010 (APTTA), authorities at the ministry communicated. 

“Gwadar Port is changing with the operation of Chinese companies, and we look forward to more prosperity” a Chinese blogger wrote on Twitter. 

An expert on CPEC told PNFS that the initiative of operationalizing the Gwadar port was the Chinese model to carry out socio-economic development across the country.

On one hand fully operationalization of the Gwadar Port will provide job opportunities particularly to locals on the other it will help in promoting all kind of businesses including hotel industry, transportation and tourism. 

This diversion will also help easing congestion on two ports in Karachi, besides reducing pressure on civic services which are already at saturating stage like water, electricity, gas, housing as well as poor road infrastructures. 

The promotion of regional connectivity, the dream of Chinese President Xi Jinping is turning into reality across the world, as according to Global Times, the English version of mass circulated Peoples Daily, the China-Europe freight trains delivered 16,000 containers from Yiwu, Zhejiang province in past five months, transporting urgent materials among the pandemic. 

It stabilized global supply chains and helped European countries in preventing and controlling the coronavirus (COVID-19).