QUETTA/GWADAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit the port city on Friday to lay foundation stone of the new Gwadar International Airport and launch some other development projects.

The new airport, which will have latest equipment and facilities, will be one of the country’s largest airports.

Official sources said that during his daylong stay in Gwadar, Mr Khan was likely to make some important announcements about Balochistan’s development.

They said he would be given briefing regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and ongoing development projects. He would also meet provincial cabinet members.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Khusro Bakhtiar announced that Balochistan would get a big share in the next public sector development programme (PSDP) as the federal government would give top priority to Gwadar, which would emerge as an economic hub of Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference along with Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani during his visit to Quetta earlier this week, Mr Bakthiar said Balochistan’s development was top priority of the PTI government as Pakistan’s progress was linked to the prosperity of the province.

He criticised past governments for not launching mega projects in Balochistan. He said if a car with diesel had been provided to every citizen it would not have caused as much financial loss as the Orange Train project of Lahore had caused to the economy.

He said the PTI government would build a road from Zhob to Kuchlak, while Gwadar would be connected to the national grid. In the next financial year, Balochistan would get a huge share in the federal PSDP, he said.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2019