Gwadar port completely operational, says CPEC chairman

GWADAR: Head of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Lt-Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa said on Monday Gwadar port is ready and completely functional.

Speaking at a ceremony in Gwadar, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s personal interest paved the way for the port to become completely operational.

He lamented that a Gwadar port free-zone policy could not be worked out from 2007 to 2020. The prime minister is going to lay the foundation stone of the second phase of CPEC projects spread over 2,200 acres, he announced.

The Gwadar city’s master plan has also been approved and it is being implemented, Bajwa said. He added a hospital, a vocational institute and an international airport are being built under CPEC.

We consider Prime Minister Khan’s South Balochistan package a panacea for the issues plaguing this part of the province, the CPEC chairman said, adding it was neglected in the past.

He expressed gratitude to the premier for personally supervising CPEC and also paid tribute to security forces for maintaining law and order and rendering sacrifices in the line of their duty.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar were also in attendance at the event.