RAWALPINDI: Three Soviet fishing trawlers will arrive in Pakistan very soon for training, research and exploration of deep sea fishing, Mr A.H.M.S. Doha said here yesterday [Aug 14] on his return from a month-long tour which took him to the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Italy (Rome) and Saudi Arabia.

Mr Doha also said that the Soviet Union has offered to assist Pakistan in the construction of the proposed harbour at Gwadar. Pakistani experts will shortly prepare the feasibility report on the proposed harbour, he added.

The Soviet Union, he said, had also promised to supply seeds for sunflower cultivation in Pakistan to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils. At present, five Pakistani scientists were studying the modern methods of sunflower cultivation in the USSR, the Minister recalled.

The Minister said that Pakistan will be receiving shortly some threshers from Yugoslavia and Bulgaria for use on trial basis.

[Meanwhile, as reported by a correspondent,] the Ministry of Defence and the Naval Headquarters were informed yesterday [Aug 15] that 11,000 tons of crude oil has leaked into the sea from a Japanese tanker, 200 miles from the Pakistani coast.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2018