QUETTA, Feb 22: Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghori has denied any irregularity in the awarding of contract to the Singapore Port Authority for running the Gwadar Port and declared that the entire process was transparent.

Addressing a Press Conference here on Thursday, he said that a Dubai-based company had qualified in the first phase of tenders invited for handing over the Gwadar Port, but after a decision to revise the port’s parameters, the ministry invited fresh tenders.

He said that in the second phase, the Singapore Port Authority qualified and was awarded the contract.

"There was no irregularity in the contract-awarding process," Mr Ghori said, adding that the Singapore Port Authority was the world's best deep-seaport operator.

He said that the Gwadar Port had been completed and

President Pervez Musharraf would formally inaugurate it in the third week of March. "Gwadar Port would play the role of backbone for the country's economy," he said, adding that after it started operating Balochistan would develop on a massive scale.

He said that a comprehensive civic centre was being set up in Gwadar.

He said that a Baloch cultural festival would be held to mark the inauguration of the port.

Replying to a question, the federal minister said that the government was providing technical training to people of the area to absorb them in the port.

"The people of Balochistan are as patriotic as the people of other provinces and they have the right over resources of the province," he said, adding that the government was taking all steps for their development.

He strongly condemned the suicide attack on the court of the civil judge in Quetta and said that extremism was dangerous for the country.

He said that the MQM would hold its meeting in London after March 23 that would take important decisions about future policies of the party.