QUETTA, Nov 5: Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri has suggested that the control of ports and shipping sector be handed over to provinces.
Speaking at a press conference at the Quetta Press Club here on Friday, the minister said the move would make provinces financially stronger.
He said he had tabled this suggestion before the parliamentary committee on Balochistan. Mr Ghauri, however, clarified that these were his personal views and were in line with the policies of his party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which stood for maximum provincial autonomy.
Referring to the Gwadar port, the minister said work on the project would not be stopped and it would be completed ahead of schedule. "Gwadar port would be completed at all cost," Mr Ghauri said, adding that the government knew how to deal with elements creating hurdles in its construction.
He maintained that the Gwadar port would play an important role in boosting national economy and would turn Balochistan into a developed and prosperous province of the country.
"The government will not make any compromise on the Gwadar port project and work on it would continue despite opposition by a few elements," he added. He said the port would act as a trans-shipment port and cater to the needs of the entire region. "It will be the mother port of the region," he added.
The minister said that many companies of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore and other countries had expressed willingness to make significant investment in the project.
In reply to a question about security for investors, he said the government would fulfil its responsibilities in this regard and investors would be given full protection.
"We will provide all possible protection to investors in Gwadar," Mr Ghauri said and added that the government had adopted strict security measures for Chinese engineers and other staff.
He rejected allegations that local people were being denied jobs at the port and termed it a baseless propaganda. He said the Gwadar Development Authority had already selected 300 local men who would be trained in technical institutes in Karachi and Islamabad for running the affairs of the port.
He said these men had been selected by the provincial governor and Special Education Minister Zubaida Jalal. Two groups were already receiving training and two more batches would be sent later. He said a local man had long ago replaced the Navy official as the chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority.
Responding to another question, Mr Ghauri said the government was constructing a 400km-long dual carriageway from Panjgur to Nokkundi to link Gwadar with Saindak and then to the western parts of Afghanistan.
Work on the road was going on for two years for linking Gwadar with Central Asia, mainly Turkmenistan. He said all link roads connecting Gwadar with the rest of Balochistan would be complete by 2007.
He said the elements opposing the construction of Gwadar port were following an anti-people and anti-state policy. He said it was true that local people should be given priority in jobs in a development project in an area. "If local people are not available for some posts only then the port authorities can recruit people from other regions and provinces," he added.
When pointed out that three people were injured in explosions in Gwadar on Thursday night, Mr Ghauri said they were employees of a private firm over whom the government had no control.
He said the government was committed to hiring local people. In a brief statement before the question-answer session, Mr Ghauri said the government had spent more than 34 per cent of the NHA funds in Balochistan when he was the communications minister.
"On my suggestion, the cabinet of Zafarullah Khan Jamali approved a policy to recruit local people for jobs in Grade-I to Grade-15," he added. He said the government was ready to spend the entire budget on Balochistan if it was needed as the government was committed to developing this backward province.
He said Balochistan was not treated well in the past and excesses were committed against its people. But when Gen Pervez Musharraf took power, he gave priority to the province and tried to mitigate sufferings and difficulties of the people. More funds were given to Balochistan during the rule of Gen Musharraf than in the past, he said.
Replying to another question, the minister said the parliamentary sub-committee had been given powers by the federal government to resolve the issues facing Balochistan.
He said the committee was not only listening to political parties and government officials but also taking decisions, which would be implemented. Senator Wali Mohammad Badini was present on the occasion.
