PM directs urgent steps to operationalise Gwadar Port

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed taking immediate measures to operationalize the Gwadar Port commercially.

Chairing the federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister instructed the constitution of a committee to be headed by the Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal to work with all stakeholders to turn the Gwadar Port into a modern port. He also directed the holding of an international conference to create awareness about the port’s importance. “There should be better marketing and awareness strategy and making diplomatic efforts to create awareness about the effectiveness of Gwadar Port,” he said.

The planning minister told the cabinet that the Gwadar Port can provide cost-effective and time-efficient access to the Persian Gulf for vessels of up to 50,000 Deadweight Tonnage. The western parts of China and the Central Asian states would also benefit from the deep-sea port. The port can play a crucial role in the progress of mineral and aquaculture sectors in the Balochistan province. The Gwadar free zone had also been exempted from all the federal, provincial and local taxes, the minister said. Ahsan Iqbal said from 2018 to 2022, the port’s depth was reduced due to criminal negligence during the dredging process. However, the previous depth was restored with more dredging work undertaken during 2022-23. The cabinet was also apprised that work was in progress to link Gwadar with M-4, which would link the city with the country’s rail link. The planning minister also suggested introducing Artificial Intelligence to modernise the cargo inspection facility at the Gwadar Port.