QUETTA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that political and military leaderships are working together to make Pakistan a developed, safe and peaceful country and meet the challenges confronting the country.

Talking to newsmen after attending a briefing in Gwadar on the pace of work on development projects in Balochistan on Thursday, he said: “We will work jointly to overcome the challenges being faced by the country.”

The prime minister, accompanied by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, was in the city of Gwadar on a day-long visit.

The Chief of the Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, and Commander Southern Command Lt General Nasir Khan Janjua and senior officials accorded them a warm welcome at the PNS Akram base.

The prime minister told newsmen that the government planned to develop Gwadar as a ‘free port’ like Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong and the planning commission had been assigned the task of acquiring the services of international consultants.

“The government has a broad-based plan under which Gwadar city will have modern amenities, a new international airport and a developed port,” he said.

Mr Sharif said his government would ensure protection of foreigners, especially Chinese professionals working on different projects in Gwadar. A quick response special force would be set up for foreigners’ security.

He said civil and military leaderships would work jointly to resolve the issues faced by the country.

Civil and military leaderships, he said, were on the same page and striving to make Pakistan a developed peaceful country and steer it out of the crisis it faced.

He said the law and order situation in Balochistan, development process and Pak-China economic corridor and several other issues were discussed at a meeting held on Thursday.

“We discussed the plan to connect the Chinese city of Kashghar to Gwadar through rail and road links.”

He said the federal government would build a network of roads in Balochistan and the Frontier Works Organisation would take up the project.

The FWO would not look for earning profit from development projects in Balochistan, its sole aim would be to put the province on track of development, progress and prosperity, he said.

Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Senior Minister Sanaullah Zehri, Mohammad Khan Shahwani and former chief minister Mohammad Saleh Bhootani were present on the occasion.

Behram Khan Baloch adds from Gwadar: Mr Sharif praised Chief Minister Dr Malik for introducing economic reforms and taking measures for improving the law and order situation.

He said the federal government had allocated Rs162 billion for the Pak-China economic corridor.

The prime minister was informed that a plan had been devised for different projects in Gwadar, including a 300-bed hospital, a system for potable water supply, a vocational training centre, 19km Express Highway, an international airport and expansion of the port.

Mr Sharif also lauded the role being played by the army, Frontier Corps, police and Levies Force in improving the law and order situation in Balochistan.

He asked Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to release Rs106bn for developing the deepwater port. He also directed the authorities concerned to protect the rights of local people while employing workforce at the port.

He said Gwadar will bring about great economic changes.

Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch thanked the prime minister for cooperation extended by the centre to the provincial government.

Provincial ministers Hamid Khan Achakzai and Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Adviser to the CM on Finance Mir Khalid Langov, M. Akbar Askani, Ms. Yameen Lehri, Handari Baloch and former speaker of the Balochistan Assembly Jamal Shah were present on the occasion.