Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz exhorted the Gwadar Port Authority and the Director General, Gwadar Development Authority, to complete the first phase of the construction of the port by January next so that it becomes functional at an early date.
The Prime Minister's keen desire to see the Gwadar port in operation within the next three months undoubtedly underlines the important need to accelerate the pace of development specially in Balochistan which was so far neglected by the previous governments.
Moreover, as he himself referred to Gwadar port as a project of national importance considering its geographical location - the nearest sea port for Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics and not very from the countries in the Gulf region, its completion is expected to open new vistas of regional trade and economic co-operation.
That would, of course, serve as a springboard for initiating multifarious development activities in an otherwise underdeveloped province of the country.
The Prime Minister also directed the Gwadar Development Authority to start planning establishment of a zone for the promotion of small and medium industries under the auspices of SMEDA along with opening of the branches of banks and DFIs for making available loan financing to the intending entrepreneurs.
The Prime Minister also wanted the civil aviation authorities to identify a suitable area within the precincts of Gwadar for starting air service between Gwadar port and other countries.
It appears that these essential aspects of development planning were not so far given high priority and the Prime Minister's emphasis may now fill an important gap in the planning.
A 350-bed hospital is construction and two separate schools for boys and girls are coming up in Gwadar port area, indicating that the work on socio-economic projects is moving apace.
A desalination plant is being set up by the Chinese companies which are associated with the construction of the Gwadar port, while a fishing jetty would serve to promote development of fisheries. A colony for housing fishermen is also said to be under construction.
The overall progress appears to be fairly satisfactory and therefore the Prime Minister's target to inaugurate the operation of Gwadar port by January next looks to be well within reach.
This will be a remarkable achievement by the Chinese companies. The addition of a new deep sea port on Pakistan's coastline would mark a new chapter of development efforts in the country.
In his address to the Balochistan cabinet on Saturday during his visit to Quetta, Shaukat asked the provincial government to prepare a five-year development plan within the next eight weeks.
The federal government he assured, would fully co-operate with the provincial government in resource management and financial planning provided the provincial government came up with an initiative to tap new resources and identified priorities in the implementation of essential socio-economic projects.
He substantiated his promise by announcing an allocation of Rs 3 billion to Balochistan government of which Rs 2 billion would be spent on financing development projects in the social sector while one billion rupees would be spent on the uplift of drought-affected areas of the province.
Another welcome announcement from the Prime Minister was the expected meeting of the NFC next month and that the Commission would take up consideration of aspects other than the size of population of a province in the determination of its share in the divisible pool of taxes.
It is expected that this approach would make it possible to formulate the NFC award to the satisfaction of all the four provinces.
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