Gwadar Port, other uplift projects: Balochistan comes under renewed govt focus

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has constituted two special committees to prepare a programme on fast-track basis for development of Gwadar Port and other development projects of Balochistan.

The planning minister set up two special committees, while chairing a meeting here in Islamabad on Wednesday, to discuss various issues related to development work in Balochistan.

Minister for Maritime Affairs, Minister for Water Resources, Minister for Industries and Production, Minister for Information and Technology, Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Secretary Planning, and senior officials were also present in the meeting.

The Minister for Planning said that in the current fiscal year, the federal and provincial governments would spend a total of Rs200 billion on the development of Balochistan.

An amount of Rs118 billion will be spend under the Annual Development Plan by the provincial government and Rs82 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme.

Asad Umar constituted two committees.

One committee will be chaired by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Jehanzeb Khan, and the second committee will be co-chaired by Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi, and Commerce Advisor Razak Dawood.

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Jehanzeb Khan-led committee would make a plan for the development of Balochistan to improve service delivery in areas of water resources, roads, agriculture, tourism, energy, and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the minister and the advisor-led committee will work out a plan for Gwadar development.

The minister in the meeting of 10 various government ministries tasked them to prepare a programme on fast-track basis for development of Gwadar and Balochistan, particularly, southern Balochistan.

This special initiative for southern Balochistan is being taken up on the directives of the prime minister who wants urgent and tangible steps taken on priority to bring this under-developed part of Pakistan to a higher level of development.

Planning Minister Asad Umar, in a meeting, setup two special committees to carry forward the prime minister's vision of equitable development in under-privileged parts of Balochistan.

Headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the National Development Council on July 24th had tasked Asad Umar to develop the programme in consultation with all the stakeholders.

The planning minister assured the provincial government that his ministry would release money for development projects.

He also said that any plan made for the betterment of Balochistan would be finalised with prior consultation of all the stakeholders of the province.

It is the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide better information technology and energy facilities to the people of Balochistan, and give priority to the weakest segment/areas of the country, said Asad Umar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020