QUETTA, March 28: The Balochistan Government has decided that the local population in Gwadar would be shifted to other places on their own will and after payment of reasonable compensation and allotment of land to them.

The provincial cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf, took this decision in its marathon meeting which concluded late on Saturday night.

The Managing Director of the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) Mr Ahmed Bukhsh Lahri briefed the cabinet about the proposed amendments in the Gwadar Master Plan. "We will try for minimum population should be affected in the shifting process," he informed the cabinet.

He said that these amendments were proposed for making the master plan better and more comprehensive, for providing maximum facilities to the local population, and in view of future trade and industrial activities in Gwadar.

He told the meeting that reformation of grading of the lands in the future's port city was very important with the aim to establish more separate entry points for the port and Gwadar city to fulfil the future requirements. Through establishing more entry points the residential and industrial areas would be separated.

The cabinet was further informed that Gwadar Development Authority has evolved all its rules and regulations for all new constructions and people who were constructing new buildings are bound to follow these rules and regulations.

Mr Lahri also told the meeting that a modern city equipped with all facilities was needed along-with a modern port where all required facilities should be made available to the people for establishing their business, trade and industry.

Construction of a modern fish harbour and residential colonies for fishermen was included in the Gwadar Master Plan while a social organization has announced to construct a modern hospital in the port city.

The government of Saudi Arabia has also provided a donation of 50,000 US dollars for establishing an educational institution in Gwadar. In the amended Master Plan a separate area would be allotted for livestock breading from where they could be exported directly to foreign countries.

The cabinet also approved the re-establishing of Balochistan Education Foundation through a bill under which the provincial governor would the chairman of the controlling authority and boards of governors while the education minister would be its vice-chairman. The board of governors would comprise of 16 members - include four official and eight unofficial members.

Provincial Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf while speaking at the meeting, said that the present government wanted to establish positive political values and he always made efforts to take the opposition and other people into confidence over the all-important provincial matters, which are in the interest of the people.

However, he clarified that his peace-loving and positive thinking attitude should not be misconsidered as a weakness. "The elected government is fully capable to take courageous decisions in the interest of the people and implement them," Jam Yousuf said.

"If we need to take strict decisions we will do so and maybe our opponents will not like it," he said, adding that his government would not give up on the peoples right and their protection and would maintain law and order at all costs.