CPEC set Balochistan on path of progress, prosperity, Asim Bajwa

Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of various development projects in Gwadar on Monday, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan is taking a keen interest in the development of CPEC projects.

Meanwhile, in a video message, the CPEC Authority Chairman said work for Iran's trade through Gwadar Port is in progress and it would start soon.

He said the Ramadan-Gabd crossing point near Gwadar is active and fully functional now. He said the fencing work of the Pakistan-Iran border is going on rapidly and new border markets are being established at the crossing points.

Asim Saleem Bajwa said the smuggling to and from Iran is decreasing due to an increase in regulated trade.

He further stated that work for Iran’s trade through the Gwadar Port (in and out) was in progress and the trade would start soon through the port.

“The Ramadan-Gabd crossing point near Gwadar is active and fully functional now, fencing work with Pakistan-Iran border is going on rapidly and new border markets are being established at the crossing points,” he said adding the smuggling to and from Iran is decreasing due to increase in regulated trade.

In his video message, the Chairman said after the completion of development works of Gwadar Port and the first phase of Gwadar Free Zone, Prime Minister Imran Khan was going to perform the groundbreaking of the second phase of the Zone.

He said as compared to the first phase which comprised 60 acres of land, the second phase would be a huge project comprising 2200 acres of land.

He said some 46 enterprises were engaged in the Free Zone phase-I while 12 factories were being established out of the three were completed.

He informed that the traffic at the port was increasing every day and last year the trade volume increased by hundreds of times as 60,000 MT of cargo was transported during the year 2020-21 compared to only 1300 MT in the preceding year.

Besides, he said five LPG vessels were berthed at the Gwadar Port.