GWADAR: Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove has said that the provincial government has stopped the fencing work in Gwadar as it will not take any decision against wishes of the people of the area.

Speaking at an open kachehry here on Tuesday during a visit to the area along with Advisers to the Chief Minister Danesh Kumar, Akbar Askani and Mahjabeen Sheran, the minister said the government wanted to ensure involvement of the people of Gwadar in all development projects in the area.

A large number of people, including leaders of political parties and social activists, attended the open kachehry and expressed their reservations about the fencing project.

Mr Langove said he would present his report to the chief minister about the people’s views on the fencing project in the area.

“The local people will not be kept away from decision-making about Gwadar and a decision about fencing would now be taken after taking the local people into confidence over the issue,” the minister said.

He said the provincial government’s top priority was to involve people of Gwadar in different development projects and it knew that without taking the local people into confidence any development process in the area would be meaningless.

Mr Langove claimed that the fencing project was not a secret plan as it was included in the master plan of Gwadar and anyone could see it as the plan was a public document.

“It is a plan for protection of the port city and nothing else,” the minister said, adding that “members of security forces present in Gwadar are our own soldiers who have rendered great sacrifices for maintaining peace and order in the province”.

He said the fencing project was meant to send a message to those investing in Gwadar that their investment was safe.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2020