ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping of Upper House of the Parliament emphasized handing over 84 acres of land to Chinese company and completion of all road links prior to the company starts operating Gwadar Port.
The Senate Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping, in its meeting held with Senator Fateh Muhammad Hassani in the chair, also expressed concern over the rejection of a summary moved by the Gwadar Port Chairman seeking Rs1.5 billion to purchase dredges for the Port Authority. The committee members asked the Finance Ministry to provide Rs1.5 billion the Gwadar Port Authority. On the occasion, the participants were apprised that Rs400 million would be required to purchase alternative land for 85 acres of land currently in possession of Pakistan Navy in case of any objection raised by the investor.
The meeting also directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to complete N-85 and M-8 to connect the highways of Sindh, Punjab, KPK and all the districts of Balochistan with the port. The participants were informed that a cell has been set up in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat to facilitate Chinese companies and investors and a ministerial level meeting of the two countries is scheduled to take place in Beijing in the current month. It was also informed that the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) had already started work.
Meanwhile, the committee chairman pointed out that in light of the recommendations of the subcommittee, Pakistan Navy should hand over 500 acres of land immediately to the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) while the federal government should take possession of remaining 84 acres. It is to be noted that subcommittee had recommended Pakistan Navy to hand over 500 acres of land immediately to Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) for the establishment of a free zone while the federal government would take the possession of remaining 84 acres. The subcommittee had also proposed that the Balochistan Board of Revenue (BBR) should arrange alternative 1,000 acres for Pakistan Navy against 500 acres, for which the Port and Shipping Ministry would arrange finance.
