PM Imran to perform groundbreaking of new Gwadar airport on March 29: Chinese diplomat

GWADAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Gwadar later this week where he will attend the international expo in the coastal city, Chinese diplomat Lijian Zhao said on Tuesday.

Zhao said that the premier will grace Gwadar Expo 2019, to be held on March 29, and attend the ground breaking ceremony of new Gwadar International Airport.

"PM @ImranKhanPTI will visit #GwadarExpo2019, attend groundbreaking ceremony of new Gwadar International Airport. @BaozhongGwadar @VofBalochistan @VOGwadar @COPHCofficial @HassanDaudButt @XHNews @PDChina @ChinaDaily @DostiFM98 @KahudaBabar @CathayPak @CPEC_Official @RadioPakistan," Lijian Zhao said.

The airport is being hailed as Pakistan's biggest airport, thus far.

Moreover, it will be capable of handling a combination of ATR 72, Airbus, (A-300), Boeing (B-737) and Boeing (B-747) for domestic as well as international routes.

Earlier in February, Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar had said that the groundbreaking of a number of Gwadar projects will be performed in March.

Bakhtyar said the government attaches top priority to the development of Gwadar.

“Groundbreaking of a number of projects including Gwadar power plant, New International Airport, vocational institute and hospital would be done in the coming few weeks,” the minister was quoted as saying in an official statement. “Similarly, Gwadar master plan would be finalised in the coming six weeks.”