Gwadar has an immense geo-political significance and development of the port having proper infrastructure including rail linkages to Gwadar would pave the way for making it a regional hub.
The Senate Standing Committee on Communications has observed this, which met here on Monday under the chairmanship of Senator Kamil Ali Agha.
The committee was of the view that Gwadar had the potential to attract the transit and trans-shipment trade as it provided an alternate route to Gulf Ports and the Central Asian Republics.
Earlier, Gwadar Port Implementation Authority (GPIA) Chairman Akbar ali Pesnani informed the committee that the authority was responsible to initiate all development work and infra-structural activities including establishment of a Special Economic Zone, and also to explore opportunities to attract investment for infrastructure at Gwadar.
He told the committee that the project would be executed in two phases.
In the first phase, the GPIA Chairman said, three multipurpose berths of 200-meter length each with 350-meter backup area were being built, adding the work on the first phase was in the advance stage of completion.
The second phase envisaged construction of additional berths of 300-meters and two oil piers, he said, adding the construction of second phase would facilitate accommodation of oil tankers, bulk carriers, general cargo vessels and generation container ships.
Later, the National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman gave a comprehensive presentation on the overall progress of Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway Project (M1).
The committee was informed that the M1 project was originally planned to be constructed having four lanes and to be completed by 2007, but subsequently it was decided to construct it with six lanes.
It further informed that the work on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway was going on smoothly and Islamabad-Bhurban section of the M1 was likely to be formally inaugurated and opened to public in September 2004.
The members of the committee appreciated the work being done by the NHA and remarked that the job exhibited by the NHA in getting the project completed ahead of the schedule needs to be followed by other department/agencies engaged in nation building activities.
The committee had a detailed discussion on the sub-committee's report constituted to ascertain the veracity of the complaints about the high rates being charged by the various restaurants on the services and other specific areas on the Motorway.
The members of the committee were of the view that it was a national tragedy that we constructed huge projects but gave little attention to their proper maintenance and upkeep.
The committee called upon the NHA functionaries to keep a constant vigil on the quality and price of edibles with a view to ensure the availability of quality items to the people at affordable prices.
Senators' Muhammad Ali Durrani, Engr. Rashid Ahmed Khan, Nawab Mohammed Ayaz Khan Jogezai and Muhammad Aslam Buledi and Secretary, Ministry of Communications Iftikhar Rasheed was also present.