QUETTA, Pakistan: Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal has said that Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces were being given special priority in China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, adding that US $ 35 billion out of US $ 46 billion of CPEC would be spent on energy production projects.
He said that Balochistan was ignored in past in term of development and added that we all of us were responsible for this negligence.
“Balochistan is also being given special priority in Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Vision Program 2025,” he said.
He was addressing ceremony held in connection with inauguration of different projects executed at the University of Balochistan, Quetta in collaboration with Higher Education Commission (HEC). Earlier, he inaugurated these projects.
The Federal Minister said that 650 kilometers long Gwadar-Quetta road project will be completed by December this year and added that work on new international airport in port town of Gwadar has been started.
“We have asked the provincial governments to submit their plans on proposed industrial zones along CPEC,” he said. “Development projects being executed in Balochistan funded by the federal government would be completed in time”.
Minister Iqbal said that we would have to adopt a positive thinking and mindset to obtain goals of progress and prosperity. Replying to questions asked by teachers and students of the varsity, the Federal Minister said, “There will be no change in the designs of CPEC. Work on western route of CPEC is underway”.
He said that work on ongoing development projects in port town of Gwadar including international airport, free trade zone, five star hotel, modern hospital, supply of potable drinking water, vocational training centers and others was underway. “Premier Nawaz Sharif will soon inaugurate the projects being completed in Gwadar in near future,” he said.
Vice Chancellor, University of Balochistan, Prof-Dr. Javed Iqbal, Provincial Minister for Education, Abdul Raheem Ziratwal, Provincial Education Minister Omar Babar and a large number of teachers and students attended the ceremony.
Source: APP
