No tangible progress on Gwadar smart city project yet

ISLAMABAD: All relevant ministries and other stakeholders have failed so far to meet the deadline set for converting Gwadar port into a smart city. The progress on much-needed 300-MW electricity and clean drinking water projects remained unsatisfactory in the current fiscal year, a top official confirmed to The News on Tuesday.

“We have directed the authorities concerned to come up with viable plans so that the progress on Gwadar projects could be achieved till the start of summer 2018,” added the official.

A high-level meeting was held under the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms on Tuesday to review progress on Gwadar smart city project.

However, according to a press statement, issued by the ministry, Minister for Interior and Planning, Development & Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said that well-being of the people of Gwadar was top priority under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. While presiding over a meeting at the Planning Commission here, he issued instruction for immediate resolution of water and power supply issues in the new port city. The meeting was attended by Secretary Planning Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Chief Secretary Balochistan Aurangzeb Haque, senior officials from line ministries and the government of Balochistan, and the Chinese embassy.

Officials of Gwadar Development Authority and Ministry of Energy briefed the participants on the Gwadar master city plan, power project and water supply issues in the port city.

Ahsan Iqbal told the meeting that the master plan for Gwadar city should be a comprehensive document, covering all aspects of a modern port city and in line with requirements of CPEC. He said that the plan should ensure provision of an integrated rail, road and air transport infrastructure system.

The minister said the Gwadar master city plan must cover the present and future maritime trends and link of Gwadar port with other regional ports.

“To make Gwadar a competitive port, the plan should come up with a complete solution,” the minister remarked while commenting on the briefing by the GDA.

He also ordered for inducting a senior and qualified expert on regional and urban planning into the review committee, formed for the project.

The minister also directed that mushroom growth of private sector residential area should be discouraged prior to completion of Gwadar city master plan.