QUETTA, (Parliament Times) : A high level review meeting on the progress of CPEC projects in Balochistan was held under the chairmanship of Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Tuesday. Chairman of CPEC Authority and Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development gave a detailed briefing on CPEC projects in Balochistan. He said “The full operation of Gwadar Port will usher in a new era of development and prosperity not only in Balochistan but also in Pakistan. Central Asian countries are also taking keen interest in investing in the CPEC project. He assured that the CPEC projects would ensure employment to the local people of Balochistan”. Federal Minister for Defense Production Zubeida Jalal, Chairman CPEC Authority Lt. Gen. (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Provincial Ministers Mir Arif Jan Muhammad Hassani, Mir Saleem Ahmed Khosa, Parliamentary Secretary Information Bushra Rind, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development, Abdul Alsabur Kakar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Zahid Saleem, Secretaries of concerned departments, Director General Public Relations Balochistan and senior officials attended the meeting. The meeting was informed that 23 projects related to energy, road infrastructure, industrial operations, socio-economic development and Gwadar development have been formulated. The 1320 MW Coal Fired Power Plant project has been completed in Hub under CPEC.
Meanwhile, the Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan project has also been completed. Similarly, 13 projects are in the pipeline: New Gwadar International Airport, Gwadar East Bay Expressway, Gwadar Port and Free Zone Development, Pak-China Friendship Hospital Gwadar and Technical and Vocational Institute Gwadar. Physical work has been started on the projects. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to resolve issues related to CPEC projects expeditiously and agreed to set up a special desk for fast track follow-up and progress of projects.
The Chief Minister Balochistan said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a guarantee of a bright future for the country. He directed all necessary steps to further coordinate the projects related to CPEC.
