Nawaz vows to make Gwadar ‘tiger of Pakistan’

• PM unveils development package for coastal city
• Says all roads to prosperity will lead from Gwadar

GWADAR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday vowed to make Gwadar the ‘tiger of Pakistan’ as he unveiled a development package for the coastal city that includes a university, 300-bed hospital and de-salination plant.

“Gwadar is soon going to experience a new dawn of development and will become the country’s unique small district, having all basic amenities similar to big cities. No other party had ever started development of this area during their tenure,” the premier said in his address to a public gathering here.

Nawaz said it was his mission to improve the living standard of the people of Gwadar, and added that all roads to prosperity would lead from this coastal city. “The deprivation of the people of Balochistan will now come to an end as Gwadar will bring a ray of hope for them and change their fate,” he averred.

Unveiling the development package, PM Nawaz announced a state-of-the-art university to equip the natives with contemporary education at their doorstep. He said a 500-acre piece of land in Shahabi area had already been purchased for the university and an amount of Rs one billion would be allocated in the upcoming budget for the purpose.

The premier ordered the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to allocate seats for students from Gwadar in leading varsities of the country, and added that 50 youth of Gwadar would be sent to China at government expense to learn Chinese language in view of their contribution to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the future.

Moving further with his uplift package, the prime minister announced a 300-bed modern hospital for Gwadar with Chinese assistance. He also said that deserving residents of the area would be issued health cards through which they would be eligible to get medical treatment at any hospital anywhere in the country.

Noting that there was a dire shortage of clean drinking water in Gwadar, the premier announced establishment of a desalination plant on an urgent basis which, according to him, would clean around five million gallons of water daily.

The premier also announced a sum of Rs one billion for infrastructure improvement of the city, including sewerage system and link roads, stating that he had taken an aerial view of Gwadar which showed miserable condition of roads and streets. Besides other developmental activities, Nawaz said, a power plant was being set up in the area which would generate 300-MW electricity for Gwadar and its surrounding areas.

Continuing his address, Nawaz said the lands of Gwadar had now become “precious than gold”, but expressed dissatisfaction that investors who had purchased lands from locals at cheaper rates several years ago, were now earning billions while the actual owners were still in shabby conditions.

“The real owners of the lands should also get fruits of progress,” he said, as he pledged to devise a strategy for a “remedy to this injustice”. He said he would soon hold consultations with the Balochistan governor, chief minister and district council chairman to find a solution to ensure compensation for local land owners.

“I am stating this with utmost sincerity. I want to take corrective measures for the betterment of you people and your coming generations,” averred the premier, stating how pleased he was to have met his ‘brothers and sisters’ of Gwadar.

The premier further said that Gwadar was being linked with the entire country through motorways from Quetta-Hassan Abdal-Mansehra up to the border of China. “Construction of roads is significant in paving way for prosperity as they make access to school, hospitals and markets easy,” he said, while mentioning that he was the first prime minister who stayed in Gwadar overnight as earlier the leaders used to neglect this area.

About his government’s counter-terrorism efforts, Nawaz said peace had returned to Balochistan for which the credit went to the armed forces, police, local administration and nation. “We are committed to completely wiping out terrorists from Pakistan,” he asserted.

Earlier, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, in his address, said the personal interest of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to bring a wave of change in Balochistan was exemplary. He said the dream of Gwadar’s development would become a reality.

Speaking at the public gathering, Minister for SAFRON Lt-Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had given a new hope for the people of Balochistan and today they looked forward to a bright future.

District Council Chairman Babu Jamal and notables of the area were also present on the occasion.