ISLAMABAD: Soon after assuming office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took keen interest in the development of Gwadar and personally visited the port city last year, where he announced a 100 billion development package for the Balochistan province with a sizable amount fixed for the city besides inaugurating some key infrastructure projects including Eastbay Expressway.
During his visit to the city in June last year, the prime minister ordered to complete all the ongoing development projects of water, electricity and infrastructure in Gwadar in the stipulated time.
He warned of zero tolerance on any further interruption in the projects of water and electricity saying that the 1.2 million gallons of desalination plant in Gwadar should be completed as soon as possible.
PM Shehbaz said the network of pipelines for the provision of water in houses should be immediately improved and also ordered an inquiry to identify those responsible for delaying the projects.
Shehbaz directed the relevant authorities to begin dredging at the Gwadar port besides taking practical steps for breakwater.
He further directed that the construction of Gwadar Hospital should be completed in September instead of December.
He also ordered to include all 16,523 poor families of Gwadar in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
The prime minister also broke ground for the Gwadar Seawater Desalination Plant by China Aid, Jingtal Gwadar Private Limited, Hangmei Lubricant Plant, Hangeng Agricultural Industrial Park, Gwadar Expo Centre and Gwadar Fertilizer Plant, besides distribution of 3,000 solar panels.
As a result of the prime minister’s special directives, remarkable progress has been made so far on several projects in Gwadar.
According to official sources, some 20 new projects are on the way of completion in 2023 and onward years as per their scheduled timeframes.
The 1.2 million gallon water per day desalination plant which is in the final stage, would be operational in a few weeks while the progress of Gwadar international airport is also on track and is likely to be completed in 2023.
The other ongoing projects in Gwadar include Gwadar Free Zone North (Phase 11), the Gwadar Safe City Project, three electricity projects, the Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, Gwadar Tourism Project, New management model of Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute (PCT & VI), State of Art Shipyard Project, Oil Refinery project, Green Gwadar Project, Pak-China Friendship Hospital, fisher community projects, Gwadar Port dredging project, Export-oriented projects, Fishing industry, Warehouse industry, and Gwadar Huafa Exhibition and Trading Center.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated a component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the six-lane Eastbay Expressway connecting the Gwadar Port with the Makran Coastal Highway, also providing a link to Karachi.
The Eastbay Expressway is a major infrastructure project in the city of Gwadar. This construction of the 19-kilometer highway runs parallel to the coastline, and has four interchanges, two bridges, and a toll plaza. The expressway is designed to handle heavy traffic, and is expected to significantly reduce transportation costs and time for goods moving to and from the Gwadar port.
The completion of the Eastbay Expressway is a major milestone in the development of Gwadar as a major port city. The Gwadar Port. Which is the centerpiece of the CPEC, is strategically located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and has the potential to become a major hub for trade and commerce in the region.
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