Islamabad, 1 January 2022 (TDI): Pakistan and China agreed to intensify their efforts to achieve the full pragmatism of Gwadar port and free zone under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor mega project (CPEC).
Islamabad and Beijing also agreed to ensure that the local population of Gwadar and neighboring regions benefit completely from these developments by taking advantage of the vast possibilities being generated in various industries.
In this regard, the Sixth session was conducted virtually between the relevant authorities of Sino-PAK governments for two Joint Working Groups on Gwadar and Socio-Economic Development.
Said virtual session was co-chaired by Secretary Planning Development and Special Initiatives Abdul Aziz Uqaili and Director General of the National Development and Reforms Commission of China Ying Xiong.
The Secretary of Economic Affairs and Maritime Affairs, representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Aviation, Defense, the CPEC Authority, PPIB, GPA, the government of Balochistan, GDA, AJK, Gilgit Baltistan, the Chinese counterparts (11 relevant departments of the government of China) and both Embassies attended the said conference.
Minutes of Meeting
The meeting assessed the compliance status of the CPEC projects in Gwadar and talked about the prospective course of action for the development of Gwadar city, port, and free zone.
Both parties were pleased with the steady progress achieved on numerous initiatives i.e. operationalization of Gawadar port, Afghan Trade Route, the completion of the Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute, the Eastbay Expressway, the inception of work on New Gwadar International Airport, and the Pak-China Friendship Hospital.
During the meeting, the aspects of the accomplishment of Gwadar Free Zone Phase-1 and the inception of the work on the much larger Phase-2 covering the area of 2,221 acres had been notified.
The meeting highlighted the significance of completing the marketing, investment plans, and implementation strategy of the free Zone. It was informed to stakeholders in the meeting that the plan would be submitted to the cabinet committee on CPEC soon for consideration.
It was noted that despite travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic the working in the Gwadar projects was incessant at a steady pace. The meeting also discussed various operational issues and discrepancies which affected the projects throughout the year.
In this context, several discrepancies were quoted as instances that have been resolved through the intervention of relevant authorities. Both sides showed acquiescence to prioritize the protracted issues.
