GWADAR: The Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs on Wednesday expressed concern over slow pace of work on making Gwadar port fully functional and development projects in the city.

A meeting of the committee, held here and presided over by its chairperson Nuzhat Sadiq, expressed anger over the absence of Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi.

Participants of the meeting expressed dissatisfaction over the steps taken so far to make Gwadar port fully functional and said that slow pace of work on the important port and development projects in the city was a matter of concern.

The committee discussed different issues regarding the port and the development projects and said that the development projects involving Chinese and Saudi investment should be completed as soon as possible.

The meeting said that the government should provide private sector investors in Gwadar all facilities and protect interests of local population, including job opportunities and basic facilities.

The committee members also discussed water crisis in Gwadar and stressed upon timely completion of ongoing water projects in the city and other parts of Makran division.

The meeting was told that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a game changer for the country, would be beneficial not only for Pakistan but for the entire region also.

Those who attended the meeting included Senators Akram Baloch, Mehmood-ul-Hassan Rana and Kushbakht Shujaat, Joint Secretary of Maritime Affairs Shazia Rizvi, Chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority Dostain Jamaldini, Gwadar Development Authority Chairman Dr Sajjad Baloch and the chairman of the China Overseas Port Holding Company.

Mr Jamaldini and the chairman of the Chinese company briefed the committee members on the development projects in Gwadar.

A representative of local fishermen community also met the committee members and informed them about problems his community was facing.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2019