Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to expedite the construction work on the Gwadar Power Plant.
The Minister passed these directives while chairing a meeting to review the progress of the Gwadar Power Plant, which was attended by the ministry officials, the Managing Director of the Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB), the Chinese Minister-Counselor Yang Guangyuan and other relevant stakeholders, a news release said.
The PPIB is processing the 300MW coal power project at Gwadar, being developed by M/s CIHC Pak Power Company (Pvt) Limited (CPPCL). The project is on the ‘priority list’ of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and holds paramount importance for the energy infrastructure and economic development of the region.
“The supply of electricity is essential in Gwadar and no delay will be accepted,” said the minister while directing the stakeholders concerned to remove all the bottlenecks and start the construction work immediately.
Terming Gwadar ‘the gateway of CPEC’, the minister said that the incumbent government had expedited the implementation of phase 2 of the CPEC while integrating it with five new economic corridors.
“The development of Gwadar Port City, New Gwadar International Airport, and East Bay Expressway is going to transform the city of Gwadar into a maritime trade hub and a new smart port for the region. It will also lead to industrialization in Balochistan,” he added.
The minister expressed confidence that all major projects under CPEC in Gwadar, including Gwadar Power Plant, distribution of 2000 Boat engines to fishermen of Gwadar, Khuzdar-Panjgur Transmission line (via Nag-Basima) which connect Markran with National Grid, New Gwadar International Airport Project, the China-Pak Friendship Hospital, China-Pak Technical and Vocational Institute in Gwadar, the Gwadar East-bay Expressway Project, Gwadar Free Zone, and Gwadar Port would become a shining pearl in the region.
During the tenure of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said several projects were completed by the then government in Gwadar particularly related to water and electricity that were neglected by the previous government deliberately. “Besides, in budget 2023-24, the allocation of development funds for Balochistan had been doubled,” the minister remarked.
