May 18, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 15, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

QUETTA, May 17: Governor Balochistan, Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Quadir, and Chief Minister, Jam Mir Mohammad Yusuf, have dispelled the impression that the local people would be turned into a tiny minority on their own homeland following the development of Gwadar port city.

They urged all the political parties to adopt a rational and progressive stance about the development of the coastal town in the larger interest of Balochistan’s people.

Speaking at an all-party conference on Gwadar port development at the Governor House, which was presided over by the governor, Mr Jam Yousuf, in his capacity as provincial chief of the PML-Q, said his party had a very progressive outlook and wanted to develop Balochistan and improve the quality of life of its people.

He declared that his party and the provincial government took a firm stand on the proposed Master Plan for Gwadar and opposed tooth and nail any dislocation of the local people.

“It was a very big issue,” conceded the chief minister.

“It is another matter that the people leave the place of their own accord and migrate to other areas following the massive development of basic infrastructure of the upcoming port city,” he said.

He visualized a scenario in which energy giants will be pouring their dollars into the oil and gas sector, making it impossible for the local people to reside in the congested area. He said there would be a free trading area and an Export Processing Zone with a huge industrial complex.

However, the government never desired any dislocation. At one stage, the governor intervened, saying there would be only 180 houses to be dislocated from the Mulla Bund locality overlooking the present Fish Harbour at Gwadar.

He said the provincial government has no land in Gwadar. If there is any, it is insignificant, Jam Yusuf told the political leaders of Balochistan.

The provincial PML chief disagreed with the contention of a leader that there should be a ban on buying of property, and voting right should be on the pattern of Jubal Ali, a UAE port city.

He said the parallel was not drawn correctly as the UAE was an independent country and sovereign in framing a law while “we in Balochistan are part of the Federation of Pakistan and simply a provincial government.” He said the laws could be framed by parliament, he noted.

The governor also shared the same views with the remark that it was for foreigners only, and Pakistanis would be given a fair treatment in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan.

At this moot, the political parties representatives strongly recommended that there should be no transfer of purchased land to private individuals without a No Objection Certificate issued by Gwadar’s district government.

Another point approved at the meeting was that the share of the local people in the future business and commercial ventures would range between 10 per cent and 20 per cent.

The governor told this correspondent after the meeting that it could be considered as equity participation in the future commercial and business ventures at the Gwadar port.

The local people would be given jobs at the Export Processing Zone, a huge industrial complex adjacent to the Gwadar Free Port, the governor said.

The government would arrange complete training facilities to the local people in different trades and skills. The training programme would be launched in advance so that the benefits should go to the local people before the port becomes operational in June 2005.

The governor announced that the government would pay adequate compensation to all the affected people, and they too would get the money in advance.

The government would develop the seafood industry in a big way providing credit facilities for fish processing plant, building boats with a modern fishing fleet meeting the future requirements of the Balochistan coast.

He said the government would also establish a Marine Academy to impart proper training to fishermen’s offspring in merchant Navy and allied fields, including boat building.

The Balochistan government will have a definite say in all the affairs of the Gwadar deep-water project, and the future Board of Governors or Trustees will have 50 per cent representation from the Balochistan government alone, including the Chairman of the Board.