GWADAR: Chief Secretary Mathar Niaz Rana announced on Monday that the ban imposed by the provincial government on illegal fishing in Balochistan waters by trawlers would be strictly implemented.

The provincial government has banned illegal fishing by trawlers of Sindh and foreign countries in the limits of 12 nautical miles along the Makran coast.

The chief secretary informed a meeting that patrolling by the Fisheries Department and other agencies concerned had been increased to curb illegal fishing by trawlers in Balochistan’s waters.

He said that in the light of special orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan, problems of the people of Gwadar were being resolved immediately and a complete ban on illegal fishing by trawlers of Sindh or foreign countries had been imposed.

He said the government was trying to provide basic amenities to the people at their doorsteps and a fire brigade facility would be provided to Gwadar immediately.

The meeting decided that the office of the project director for construction of a new international airport in Gwadar would be shifted to Gwadar and the headquarters of the director general of fisheries had already been shifted to Gwadar to resolve the issue of illegal fishing at the Makran coast.

Briefing the meeting, Mathar Niaz Rana claimed that the issue of supply of clean drinking water to Gwadar had been resolved and projects on which work was under way, would be completed soon.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2021