GWADAR: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo has claimed that the share of Balochistan in the new agreement for the Reko Diq Copper-Cum- Gold Project has been increased.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, he said in the previous agreement the Balochistan share in the Reko Diq project was just 2 per cent. In the new proposed agreement, he added, this share has been increased substantially.

He said that an old shareholder company in the project wanted to leave it by selling its share. The Balochistan government requested the federal government to purchase the share of that company and give to Balochistan.

CM Bizenjo said it has been proposed in the new agreement that the company which would sign the new agreement would be bound to spend Rs40 billion on building infrastructure and other development projects before starting work on the Reko Diq site.

He said that it has been decided that Gwadar would be provided power supply from border areas and in this connection a high-level delegation would visit Iran for talks with Iranian authorities.

He said work on linking Makran with national grid is in progress and soon all the three districts of Makran division will start receiving power supply from national grid.

He said it has been decided that a strict action would be taken for stopping fishing by illegal trawlers in coastal areas of Balochistan. The Pakistan Coast Guards and other agencies would play an active role in this regard, he added.

He said the recent visit of President Arif Alvi to Gwadar shows that the government is very serious in solving the problems of Balochistan. He thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for restricting Customs check-posts up to border areas.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2022