Gwadar - Government of Balochistan

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Gwadar was notified as a separate district on 1st July, 1977.The name originates from Gwat which means air and Dar, the
door. The district headquarter is in “Gwadar” town. The district is located in the south-west of the Quetta City, the
provincial capital of Balochistan, sharing its boundaries in the west with Iran. District Lasbela is in the east and Kech and
Awaran Districts are in the north.
Due to the deep sea port, Gwadar District has been developing fast. It has a scenic coastal highway that originates from
district Lasbela and passes through the Gwadar district. The district has a 620 Kms coastline along Arabian Sea. The most
significant feature of the Gwadar District is Gwadar Port, a deep sea warm water port. It is located on the eastern bay of a
natural hammer-head protrusion of land, from the coast, distended into the apex of Arabian Sea. By virtue of its geographic
location and developmental projects, Gwadar is going to be an advanced and developed coastal city at par with other
famous coastal cities of the world, in the coming years. The terrain of the district is mountainous and consists of coastal
plains and valleys having an elevation ranging from 0 to930 meters above Mean Sea Level. (MSL)
1.1. Historical Background
The Makran Region surrounding Gwadar was occupied by the ancient Bronze Age people who were settled in the few
oases. Later, it became the Gedrosia region of the Achaemenid Persian Empire which is believed to have been conquered
by the founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great. During the homeward march of Alexander the Great, his admiral,
Nearchus, led a fleet along the modern-day Makran coast and recorded that the area was dry, mountainous and inhabited
by the "Ichthyophagoi" (or "fish eaters"), a Greek rendering of the ancient Persian phrase "Mahikhoran" (then it became
"Makran"). After the collapse of Alexander's empire, the area was ruled by Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander's generals.
In 303 BC, Gwadar witnessed the advent of Alexander the Great, followed by the rule of Chandra Gupta Moria. A detailed
history of the later period is missing.
The inhabitants of Gwadar were Baloch and their chief was Malik Jelaleddin, son of Malik Dinar. In 1783, the Khan of
Gwadar granted authority over Gwadar to Taimur Sultan, the defeated ruler of Muscat. When Taimur Sultan reclaimed
Muscat, he continued his rule in Gwadar by appointing a governor there.
Gwadar officially became a district on July 1, 1977, when Makran Divison was created having three districts. Gwadar town
is the headquarter of Gwadar District. Previously, it was one of the 3 Tehsils of the then Makran District - before Makran was
upgraded to a Division. For administrative purposes, the district is further divided into two sub-divisions, namely Gwadar
and Pasni.
Gwadar became a part of Pakistan in September 1958. Keeping in view the needs of the Central Asian States, Afghanistan
and China, the Government of General Pervez Musharraf decided to construct a deep sea port at Gwadar (third port of
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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Table 1.1: Tehsils and Union Councils of District Gwadar
Tehsil Union Council
Gwadar
Central Gwadar, Gwadar Southern, Gwadar
Northern, Pishukan, Surbandar
Jiwani Jiwani, Suntsar
Ormara Hud, Ormara
Pasni Kallag, Nalaint, Pasni Northern, Pasni Southern
There are total 4 Tehsils and 13 Union Councils in the district
(Local Government, Balochistan, 2005)
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