Early completion of rail, road projects in Gwadar stressed

Lahore: The government must attach its top priority to tap the Gwadar Port potential and ensure early completion of roads and rails links with this deep-sea port that has already been delayed, said Executive Director Canadian City Gwadar Mushtaq Hussain Khokhar.

The port of this great economic importance could not be completely utilised until the road infrastructure including the Ratodero-Gwadar Motorway (M-8) is completed, he said adding that the M-8 could reduce the distance from the upcountry areas to Gwadar.

The Makran Coastal Highway via Karachi, which is about 650 kilometres, is unaffordable in view of rising transportation cost, he added. He said that road connectivity with the hinterland is key to market the Port for transit trade with Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics and China.

To a question, he said that the investment in real estates, particularly in the duly approved schemes by Gwadar Development Authority (GDA), is as safe as in other parts of the country. With a view to protect the public interest, the GDA prepared a database of the people who purchased residential and commercial schemes.

The GDA got pledged 30 percent of the total area of any approved scheme in case of the developers default, the GDA could itself develop the scheme, he maintained. Besides, the GDA now issues letter to certify the status of booking/purchase in the approved schemes, he maintained.

While appreciating the GDA role in ensuring transparency in its record relating to the approved schemes, Mushtaq Hussain Khokhar urged the Authority to dispel the impression of worsening law and order situation in Gwadar, which is comparatively a safe place in the country while the disturbance area is considerably far from this port city. Apart from developing road and rail linkages, the government should ensure other civic amenities in Gwadar so that it could emerge as an economic hub to benefit the people of the under-developed province, he maintained.