ISLAMABAD, May 20: Steps are under way to obtain the cooperation of private sector in development projects of Karachi Port Trust and Port Qasim Authority.

This was stated by Communications and Railways Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi while presiding over the communications conference held here on Monday. The conference reviewed country-wide communications development projects.

The minister said the implementation of the Shipping Ordinance would be ensured for the development of shipping sector, and Karachi Port was centre of the industrial activity in the country.

He said new navigation system had been installed at Port Qasim that would help continue shipping traffic at night.

Ashraf Qazi said earlier this facility was available only in European countries and now the facility had been provided first time in Pakistan and in this region.

He said the system was to provide night navigation to an extent of 40 km. He said the project of development and extension of Gwadar Port was of great importance and work on first phase of this project had been started.

The minister said that Gwadar Port would pave the way for economic uplift of the whole region. He further said modern postal facilities would be provided to the people and that restructuring of Pakistan Post was underway. Due to reforms in Pakistan Post, this department earned profit of Rs400 million last year.

He said Vigilance Directorate had been set up in the attached departments of Ministry of Communications to improve the performance of the communications departments and they should assist, suggest and report.

He said the communications network had played vital role in socio-economic development that was why all the possible measures were being adopted for early completion of the development projects.

The minister said pace of work on dualization of Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar national highway be geared up. He said Karachi northern bypass and Lyari expressway projects were included in the priority list and construction activity on both the projects had been started.

Ashraf Qazi said quality construction of the Indus highway be ensured. He said completion of under construction Makran coastal highway would cast far reaching positive effects on the economy of the whole region.