QUETTA, March 19: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that the fate of Pakistan and the entire region will be changed when the Gwadar Port starts functioning as it will generate tremendous trade and economic activities in the area.

The Gwadar Port, the country’s first deep-sea facility, would be inaugurated on Tuesday.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a desalination plant installed in a private housing scheme in Gwadar on Monday, he said that with the start of activities at the Gwadar Port, the economic future of the area would get a new direction, adding that the port would be linked up with Iran in future.

"Gwadar will prove to be a hub of trade and economic activities as with the new port becoming operational thousands of new jobs will be created, directly benefiting the people of the area.”

He said some people were apprehensive that with the construction of the Gwadar Port people from other countries would come to Gwadar, changing demography of the area.

"I earnestly ask the people to change their mindset as it is an era of globalization and the world is facing repaid changes," Mr Aziz said. He added that everything constructed in Gwadar would be a national asset.

Later, presiding over a federal cabinet meeting here, the prime minister said that only Pakistani forces would conduct operation against terrorists inside the country and no foreign forces would be allowed to do this inside Pakistan, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Tariq Azim Khan told newsmen during a briefing after the cabinet the meeting.

The cabinet announced full support to the president over the reference against the Chief Justice of Pakistan and his other steps.

The meeting decided that in future the federal cabinet would hold its meetings in provincial capitals and other cities of the country.

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