Gwadar | Pakistan

Gwadar coast hit by massive oil spill

• Spill poses a serious threat to marine life and local fishing economy • Source of spill remains unconfirmed, though it may be linked to regional tanker incidents and sea conditions in the Strait of Hormuz GWADAR: Gwadar’s western coast has been covered with a thick layer of crude oil across a 20-kilometre stretch, posing a severe threat to marine life and the local fishing industry, officials said on Friday. “Thick crude oil has washed ashore, covering a vast area of the coastline and penetrating sensitive intertidal zones,” officials said. The situation has sparked widespread concern among environmentalists and the local community over its potential long-term impact on the marine ecosystem. (CLOCKWISE) Workers inspect patches of spilled oil washed ashore along the coast of Gwadar; a cleanup worker holds a thick clump of toxic residue while a sea turtle lies on a beach contaminated with crude oil.—Dawn Deputy Director of Environment Abdul Rahim Baloch, while confirming that crude oil had reached Balochistan...

QUETTA: In a significant boost to Gwadar’s air connectivity, private airline South Air has launched its first trial flight service from Karachi to Gwadar. The trial flight successfully landed at the New Gwadar International Air­port, marking a key step towards improving air tra­vel facilities in the coastal region. According to the airport flights schedule, South Air flight Z8-905 departed from Karachi at 12 noon on Tuesday and arrived at the New Gwadar Inter­national Airport at 3:40pm. The operationalisation of the Gwadar airport under the China-Pakistan Eco­nomic Corridor (CPEC) project is expected to facilitate smoother movement of passengers, cargo and services. The new air service is also expected to significantly reduce travel time between Gwadar, Karachi, Quetta and other cities, while boosting trade, tourism and development activities across the Makran division. According to the private airline spokesperson, improved connectivity between the Gwadar seaport and international airport could help transfor...

QUETTA: Despite the passage of more than 48 hours, no clue has been found regarding the vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, and two other employees of Gwadar University who went missing while travelling to Quetta from the port city of Gwadar on Friday. Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Abdul Razzaq Sabir (Sitara-i-Imtiaz), Pro-Vice Cha­n­c­ellor Prof Dr Syed Manzoor Ahmed; VC’s staff officer Irshad Ahmed; and driver Hatim Ali left Gwadar on Wednesday morning in an official vehicle. They rem­ained in contact with their families until reaching the Mastung area, after which their mobile phones were switched off. After losing contact with them, the vice chancellor’s family informed the police and other authorities about their disappearance in the Mastung area. Police believe the educationists may have been abducted by unidentified individuals. Security forces launched an intelligence-based search operation and raided various suspected locations for the safe recovery of the senior officials of Gwadar University. However, ...

Pakistan has decided to expand its petroleum storage capacity as a major foreign investment from Saudi Arabia is expected for the establishment of a large-scale oil refinery in Gwadar, according to sources in the Ministry of Petroleum.

GWADAR: A fisherman from Gwadar was killed after the debris of an Israeli projectile intercepted by Iranian air defence systems hit his boat in Iranian waters, officials said on Sunday. Gwadar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Naqibullah Kakar confirmed the incident to Dawn that took place on Saturday, saying that the deceased was identified as Muhammad Tayyab, a resident of Gannz, a small coastal town in Balochistan’s Gwadar district. District Police Officer Attaur Rehman also confirmed the incident and told Dawn that Tayyab “went into Iranian waters for Iranian oil”. DC Kakar believes an attempt was made to attack fishing boats in a coastal area of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province, but the projectile was intercepted and destroyed by the Iranian air defence system. “A portion of the debris from that drone or missile hit Tayyab’s fishing boat, resulting in his death,” he added. The officials said Tayyab’s body was taken to his native town, Gannz, via the sea, and he was later buried. Iran, a neighbour of Pakistan, h...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday offered Pakistan’s deep-sea ports at Gwadar and Karachi as a vital trade outlet for Central Asian states, saying that this could change the fate of the entire region.

Chief Minister (CM) of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, on Saturday expressed his heartfelt condolences following a deadly accident in Gwadar, directed authorities to offer prompt medical assistance, and ensured the transportation of the victims’ bodies to their hometowns.

Amid ongoing violent protests in different parts of Iran, Pakistani students studying at various universities and religious institutions, along with pilgrims visiting holy sites, have started returning to Pakistan through the Gwadar route.

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday accorded approval for electricity supply projects for port city Gwadar and Gilgit-Baltistan, and directed for immediate implementation.

Participants of the 27th National Security Workshop visited Gwadar, where they were briefed on the strategic importance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), safe operations at Gwadar Port, and the coastal surveillance system.

In a rare sighting, four Bryde’s whales have been spotted off the coast of Gwadar, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P). In a post on X, the organisation said the group was sighted a day ago by local fishermen near Gwadar (Demi Zur) by local fishermen, who immediately reported the incident to WWF-Pakistan as part of its citizen science initiative. “The whales were spotted by a fishing boat captained by Amir Dad Karim, who noticed movement on the calm sea about 5 kilometres north of their operation area. On approaching, they found a pod of baleen whales, later identified as Bryde’s whales, likely moving toward coastal waters to feed.” The organisation said the Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera brydei) is one of the three baleen whale species known from Pakistani waters — the other two are the blue whale and the Arabian humpback whale — adding that it lives in warm and temperate oceans and mainly feeds on schooling fish such as sardines, anchovies and mackerels, which are abundant along the co...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reaffirmed its focus on integrating the New Gwadar International Airport with the port as part of the five-year Maritime Affairs Action Plan (2025-2029), aiming to transform Gwadar into a regional trade and transit hub. The commitment was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Wednesday. The plan, aligned with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), seeks to enhance maritime cooperation with China while promoting economic connectivity with Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The framework emphasises infrastructure development, including the expansion of Gwadar Port, completion of Free Zone Stage II, and acceleration of East Bay Expressway Phase II to improve inland accessibility. A key component is the integration of the airport with the port to support multi-modal transit and regional logistics. The plan also supports the adoption of electronic data interchange systems and smart port ...

Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Wednesday announced that plans are underway to utilise solar energy to power Balochistan’s Gwadar port in a bid to improve its efficiency, a press release issued by his ministry said. Gwadar Port, built more than a decade ago, still remains a non-starter, prompting the federal government to speed up efforts aimed at the maximum utilisation of the port. Earlier this month, Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and a Chinese company agreed to boost investments at the port, in an attempt to develop it as a “regional transhipment centre”. In a meeting aimed at enhancing the port’s operations, Chaudhry announced that “efforts are underway to implement solar-based solutions” to enhance the operational capability of the Gwadar port. In that regard, a sub-committee has been established, which will be responsible for planning and implementing an “efficient solar panel utilisation plan, recommending the installation of solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage solutio...

Two human traffickers were arrested in Balochistan’s Gwadar for attempting to send citizens to Iran via illegal sea routes, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said in a statement on Tuesday. Human smuggling from Pakistan to Iran has been a persistent issue, with many migrants attempting to cross through perilous land and sea routes in search of better economic opportunities or to reach onward destinations in the Middle East and Europe, according to a report by the National Initiative against Organised Crime. Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan are frequently used as key transit points, where traffickers exploit vulnerable citizens by charging hefty sums for the dangerous journeys. Per the FIA’s statement, “major operations” were carried out by the agency’s Composite Circle Gwadar, through which the suspects were arrested from different areas of the district. “The arrested suspects are involved in sending citizens from Pakistan to Iran through illegal sea routes,” it said. “The suspect extorted Rs10,000 ...

Maritime Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry stated on Friday that the Gwadar Port had the potential to generate over $850 million in annual exports through consistent investment, strategic policymaking, and improved infrastructure, a press release issued by the ministry said. Gwadar Port is a deep-sea port located in Balochistan, strategically positioned near the Strait of Hormuz. Touted as a game-changer for Pakistan’s economy, the port is meant to boost regional trade, create jobs, and attract foreign investment. Speaking during a high-level meeting on the operationalisation of Gwadar Port today, Minister Chaudhry stated that “with consistent investment, strategic policymaking, and improved infrastructure, the port had the potential to generate over $850m annually through value-added fisheries and date exports.” According to the statement, the meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs (MoMA) and representatives from relevant ministries and organisations, including Gwadar P...

Five private companies on Friday proposed routes for the newly announced ferry service from Gwadar to the Gulf region, according to the maritime ministry. On July 1, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs announced an ambitious plan to expand Gwadar Port’s operational capacity by introducing additional shipp­ing lines and launching a ferry service connecting Pak­istan with Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The move is expected to provide an affordable, direct maritime link for passengers and cargo, particularly benefiting expatriate communities and cross-border traders. Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting on the ferry service today to review the “technical and financial aspects of ferry operations”, a statement by his ministry said. “Five private companies presented their proposals,” the statement added. “The interest of the private sector in ferry service has increased,” Chaudhry said, adding that various routes were under consideration. “The ferry service will promote ...

Posts from multiple users on social media platforms since July 9 alleged that a newly announced ferry service set to be launched from Gwadar to Gulf countries costs between Rs25,000 to Rs30,000. However, the maritime ministry said the fares have yet to be decided and the matter is still under negotiation. On July 1, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs announced an ambitious plan to expand Gwadar Port’s operational capacity by introducing additional shipp­ing lines and launching a ferry service connecting Pak­istan with Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The move is expected to provide an affordable, direct maritime link for passengers and cargo, particularly benefiting expatriate communities and cross-border traders. On July 9, an online news portal, focused on developments about Kuwait and the Middle East, said in a post on Facebook that the fares of a ferry service between Gwadar and Gulf countries would be Rs25,000 to Rs35,000. The post was captioned: “Pakistan has announced the imminent launch of a direct l...

A policeman was martyred in an exchange of fire after attackers threw a hand grenade near a masjid in Gwadar, according to police. According to Gwadar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zia Mandokhail, a residential quarter of people belonging to Punjab was targeted with a hand grenade near Bilal Mosque located on Syed Hashmi Avenue. The attackers fired in the air and fled the scene. As the attackers attempted to flee, the police constable present at the scene took immediate action and chased one of the attackers. The timely police action led to one attacker, Shah Jahan, being killed, while the other, Shahzad, was seriously injured. In the exchange of fire, however, policeman Muhammad Khamari was martyred. Three others were also injured in the attack, according to SSP Mandokhail. Militant violence and security operations intensified in the country in March 2025, with the number of militant attacks surpassing 100 for the first time since November 2014, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute fo...