Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said the future of
Pakistan belonged to Gwadar emerging as the ‘focal point of development’ and
ensuring prosperity for the entire country.
Addressing at the launch of development projects and the
signing ceremony of Memoranda of Understanding here in the port city, the prime
minister said Gwadar would open up new avenues of opportunities for regional
trade.
The prime minister who arrived in Gwadar on a day-long visit
inaugurated the first phase of Gwadar Free Zone besides performing the
groundbreaking of the its second phase spread at 2,200 acres and opening of
three factories.
The prime minister said his vision of an emerging Pakistan
was a steadfast nation which was committed to the prosperity of the country.
He said the government was focused on ensuring provision of
basic amenities in Gwadar and Balochistan, particularly clean water and
electricity to encourage industrialization.
He said the recently announced Rs 730 billion development
budget for Balochistan by the federal government was historic, that aimed at
uplift of the province and also to mitigate the longstanding deprivation of its
people.
“No country can progress unless it mainstreams all its areas
and ensure development across the board,” he said, adding that connectivity was
one of the major component of the Balochistan package.
Imran Khan said the government was prioritizing development
in far-flung areas of Balochistan, northern areas and rural Punjab.
The prime minister mentioned that Gwadar International
Airport would encourage regional trade and boost economic activity.
He said one-window operation was in progress to facilitate
the investors and urged upon the provincial governments to ensure proper
servicing of investors since the subject moved to them after the passage of
18the Amendment.
Imran Khan thanked the government of China for launch of
water and solar projects in Balochsitan, particularly in Gwadar.
“Pakistan can benefit from its strategic location and also
from the expertise of its friend China, which is the becoming an economic power
in the region,” he said.
He also mentioned the technical education provided by China
to the youth of Gwadar, which he said, would prove greatly helpful as the foreign
investment grew in future.
The prime minister mentioned several initiatives for the
uplift of Gwadar including the university, employment under Kamyab Jawan
Programme, and the upgradation of the equipment of local fishermen to ensure
value addition of their catch.
He said the Prime Minister Office would regularly monitor
the progress on the development plans initiated in Gwadar on a monthly basis.
The prime minister said regional countries had expressed
interest in reaping the benefits offered by the Gwadar port.
In this scenario, he expressed concern over the
deteriorating law and situation in Afghanistan, stressing peace and stability
as extremely important for the continuity of development.
Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan said the
provincial government had been collaborating with the CPEC Authority to resolve
the issues of customs. He drew attention to the problem regarding the relocation
of locals along the Eastbay and mentioned that efforts were on for an amicable
solution.
He said the Public Sector Development Programme for the
current fiscal year covered the entire Balochistan and mentioned that the
extension of Gwadar Hospital up to 200 beds, construction of the first
university in Gwadar, border markets and uplift of villages were on the cards.
Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong said the cooperation between
the governments of Pakistan and China had led several projects to see the light
of the day. He said over the past eight years, the two countries accelerated
their pace on several projects related to civic amenities, particularly clean
water and solar plants.
He said Gwadar was a showcase of the “Chinese solution” for
Pakistan’s development.
By taking a comprehensive way of development, he said,
Gwadar Port would turn into a business hub. He said China would continue to
extend support for a shared future with Pakistan.
Chairman CPEC Authority Lt Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa said
the Gwadar Free Zone spread at 60 acres had been completed where 46 enterprises
had become operational.
He said now, the groundbreaking of the second phase at the
vast 2200 acres starting today , would usher in a new era of prosperity in
Gwadar and in Balochsitan.
He mentioned that the personal interest of Prime Minister
Imran Khan resulted in materialization of trans-shipment policy, Afghan transit
policy, the framework signing and execution of border trade with Iran and start
of work at Eastbay Expressway.
He said several significant development projects were in
progress including the Gwadar International Airport and a Vocational Institute
to develop skills of the locals.
Bajwa said conspiracies were on the rise against CPEC,
however the commitment of the government greatly helped thwart such challenges.
Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Planning Minister
Asad Umer, Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal and Minister for
Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi were present.
Earlier, the prime minister before landing at the Gwadar
Airport took an aerial view of the infrastructure built at the seaport
including the Expressway.
On his arrival at the China Business Centre Hall, he was
given a detailed briefing of the South Balochistan Development Package. He also
held an interaction with the CPEC Workforce.
Chairman CPEC Authority and Chinese Ambassador ink Memoranda
of Understanding for cooperation on development in Gwadar.
Moreover, seven regional countries including Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Kenya and Qatar on Monday expressed
their commitment for cooperation on the development of Gwadar.
With their respective ambassadors present at a ceremony
attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the regional countries showed their
support for the development of Pakistan’s port city.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on the occasion also witnessed the
signing of two Memoranda of Understanding with the government of China for
carrying out development projects in Gwadar.
The accords included the implementation agreement on setting
up of 1.2 MGD desalination plant to resolve the shortage of drinking water for
the residents of Gwadar.
Other agreements included China’s grant for solar generators
for South Balochistan, and the groundbreaking of North Gwadar Free Zone and
Enterprises.
Also on the occasion, the Chinese investors through
video-link from Shanghai showed the ‘Expression of Commitment for Investment’.
Those who pledged to invest in Balochistan’s different sectors included Huang
Weiguo (textile), Huang Daoyuan (prefabricated technology), Fang Hongyan
(agriculture), Shen Jian (wool spinning), David Dia and Chen Yi (dairy processing)
and Bao Dequan (textile).
The factories inaugurated on the occasion included chemical
fertilizer factory, Gwadar Animal Vaccination factory and lubricant factory,
besides the opening of Gwadar Tissue Plant Laboratory.
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