The Ship-breaking Yard was established on the Gadani Coast of Balochistan during the regime of General Ziaul Haq in mid-1980s. Now the Balochistan cabinet on Friday approved allotment of 750 acres of land to the Ministry of Defence Production for construction of a shipyard in Pasni city of Gwadar district.

The Balochistan government will allot the land to the ministry for construction of the shipyard on the of basis 30 per cent equity. The provincial share will be 20-30pc in the project.

“Around 10,000 jobs will be created in the shipyard, which would help in providing jobs to Balochistan’s youths,” Liaquat Ali Shahwani, spokesman for the Balochistan government, said.

Gwadar shipyard would initially offer ship repair and maintenance services at two dry docks with the capacity to handle 600,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage). Gwadar facility would eventually lead to shipbuilding with capacity of constructing up to VLCC and ULCC.

At the present, business and employment opportunities at the Gadani shipbreaking yard which was once the largest in the world, have decreased considerably over the years due to the use of outdated methods of dismantling ships and precarious health and safety conditions. It is necessary that the government and the employers take necessary steps for preventing the industry from shutting down.

The industry was meeting 30 percent of the country’s iron needs, and if no action taken seriously the situation could cause a huge loss to the national exchequer. There were once 35,000 people employed in Gadani. Today, they have reduced to around 10, 000. Over 200 rerolling mills across the country and over two million workers are uncertain about their future.

Expert said that Pasni shipyard is close proximity to the Persian Gulf through which nearly 38 per cent of the world’s precious goods largely oil and gas are carried, could attract many commercial vessels looking for maintenance and repair works. The Pasni shipyard in port city would become a very viable commercial venture because of the lack of adequate shipbuilding facilities in the region.

Iran, which operates the largest commercial shipping fleet, has also developed basic know how, yet it will take a long time to become a viable shipbuilding nation. Mekran Coast had a modest tradition of boat building for the past many centuries and it will suit to the local people remain engaged in the trade.  It was an ideal place for constructing a shipyard to Gwadar meeting the need of the regional countries as a whole.

Gwadar and Chah Bahar—two complimentary ports at a distance of mere 72 kilometers are expected to be the great hub of economic, commercial and industrial activities in years to come increasing its importance for international shipping and trade using ships.