‘Gwadar Airport, Expressway groundbreaking this year’

ISLAMABAD: Groundbreaking of Gwadar International Airport and Expressway would be performed this year, said Minister for Planning Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal on Monday.

Three routes to link Gwadar with the rest of the country would be made available by December, he said, while talking to a delegation of the Gwadar Press Club, which called on him.

The Gwadar International Airport, to be capable of handling the largest of passenger planes, including the A380 Boeing jets, would be completed at a cost of $260 million.

The minister said Gwadar and Balochistan province would be the biggest beneficiaries of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), adding that the first Economic Zone would be set up at Gwadar.

Various financial incentives are being provided to the potential investors in the Special Economic Zone of Gwadar, as a result of which there is a growing interest among investors both in Pakistan and abroad for investment in the Special Economic Zone. Iqbal said besides Vocational and Technical Training Institute would be built to impart local population of Gwadar training of skills and provide employment.

He said Gwadar University would be established this year to ensure higher education facilities to the local youth.

Gwadar city would not only be provided with a modern seaport, but it would be made a centre of social and economic activities, the minister said.

CPEC is not only a road, but it is a complete framework, he said, adding that this important initiative is the result of vision of both Pakistani and Chinese leaderships.

Of the $46 billion, $35 billion would be invested in the energy projects under the CPEC framework, Iqbal said, adding that Sindh and Balochistan would get largest shares in the energy sector.

CPEC, he said, would benefit more than three billion people of this region and beyond.

Regarding Orange Line project, he clarified that this project is being completed by the Punjab government from its own resources.

Iqbal said that there was a war of political ideology in the 20th Century, while economic wars were being fought in the 21st Century.

Pakistan missed out several opportunities in the past, he said, adding that the entire world is looking towards CPEC's success.