ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 14 (NNN-PPI) – Pakistan’s Minister of Planning, Development and Reforms, Khusro Bakhtiar, said that, a comprehensive plan is being made to develop Gwadar port, in the country’s south-west Balochistan province, on modern lines, under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Addressing a press conference here, Bakhtiar said, the country’s blue economy has a huge potential and a comprehensive plan is being made, to enable Gwadar to emerge as a leading trading port in the region.
A master plan regarding the development of the former fishing town is in the final stage, and once the plan is implemented, it will attract foreign investment, making Gwadar a transshipment hub, he said.
Talking about CPEC’s significance, Bakhtiar said, the project is the manifestation of decade-long close and strong relations between Pakistan and China, and the current government considers the economic corridor a landmark initiative for harnessing future economic development of Pakistan.
“Pakistan was in acute energy shortage, and due to circular debt, no one wanted to invest in the energy sector of Pakistan, but at that crucial time Chinese companies came to Pakistan’s rescue and helped us produce electricity. If energy projects were not developed under CPEC, even now Pakistan would have been facing the challenges of energy shortage,” Bakhtiar said.
The minister said that the Pakistani government has decided to form an authority directly under the development ministry, to provide multi-sectorial coordination and coordinate efforts for the development and implementation of future CPEC projects.– NNN-PPI
