Gwadar - Transforming into dynamic regional economic engine.

ISLAMABAD -- After stagnant progress on our future lifeline project during past four years - the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and important segment of Road and Belt Initiative of the Chinese government, is once again on way to taking strides.

The deep seaport of Gwadar, a crucial component of CPEC, has a special strategic significance as a facility not simply ensuring Pak-China connectivity but hyperlinking Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East, making it a center of future economic activities.

The project envisaged and executed during the PPPP and the PML-N governments suffered a snail pace progress during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf regime due to reasons well known to Imran Khan led coalition.

But now after the collective efforts of the civilian government as well as the establishment, it is once again inching closer step by step, to turning into a game-changer monetary hub for Pakistan and regional countries as well.

In line with its method to operationalize the seaport and deliver financial benefits to capture the alternate boom, the authorities in recent past imported around 450,000 Metric Tons (MT) wheat through nine vessels anchored at this newly-built facility.

'The initiation of trade activities with the import of wheat via Gwadar Port has marked the beginning of a new era of business, trade and commercial activities that would significantly benefit underprivileged Balochistan, especially Gwadar and Makran,' said an official at Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

'All the contractors, workforce, customs clearing agents, shipping agents, labor contractors and food suppliers etc. engaged in operation of Gwadar port for imports by TCP (Trading Corporation of Pakistan) are 100% from local population . . . and it will definitely help uplift living standards of the people of Balochistan,' the official said.

In the second week of the current month, the ministry also announced the completion of the China Exhibition and Trading Center in a record time of six months at the Gwadar deep-sea port with the cost of $12 million. The project was completed by the China Offshore Ports Handling Company (COPHCL).

Meanwhile, Minister for Planning Professor Ahsan Iqbal has directed to conduct third International Expo Gwadar June 2023 at the newly established EXPO center. This Expo would coincide with the 10-year celebrations of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in July this year.

The development under CPEC aims to...