Centre assures Balochistan of full support for improving Gwadar Port

File Photo: Solar System Lights in Gawadar

GAWADAR - The federal government has assured the Balochistan government of full support for bringing improvement in Gwadar Port and completion of the related road network, advising the province to review its feasibility report for its future plan and make it economically viable. This was said on Sunday by Dr Nadeem ul Haq, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, who led a three-member team to Gwadar to review the future prospects for port operations with the consultation of the Balochistan government.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wasey, ministers Mir Asim Gaillu, Zahoor Buledi, Mir Hamal Kalmati, Syed Ehsan Shah, Mir Asghar Rind and Chief Secretary Fatah Mohammad Babar Yaqub also attended the meeting. Haq  said the provincial government should put its recommendations before the federal government for making the Gwadar Port operational in the near future.

Haq said the federal government was firm in its resolution to make the port fully operational, but was reviewing its economic aspects.

File Photo: Sports Complex

He also asked the provincial government to study the port’s economic prospective so that it could be a viable project instead of making ambitious proposals as happened in the past.

The meeting was informed that 80 percent of the construction on Gwadar-Rato Dero Highway had been completed with an expenditure of Rs 15 billion and the rest would be hopefully completed within a few months. Mohammad Musa,

Chief Secretary Fatah Yaqoob told the meeting that he had met with all security agencies who assured the government of their full cooperation and support. Chief Minister Aslam Raisani said foolproof arrangements would be made for providing security to contractors and their laborers involved in the construction of highways. Raisani complained over the non-implementation of the Balochistan package, pointing out that the notification regarding the Balochistan chief minister being made the chairman of Gwadar Port Authority was still pending.

<Pakistan Today>