Around eight vessels carrying 400,000 Metric Ton (MT) of wheat from different countries have so far anchored at the Gwadar seaport in line with the special directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to operationalize the newly-built facility, starting from March 3, 2023. Under this initiative, the government would import overall 450,000 MT of wheat which is scheduled to complete on April 26 with the arrival of the last shipment of 50,000 MT of wheat, the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives said in a news release here on Tuesday. “The last consecutive vessel MV Advance will call at Gwadar port on 26th April 2023,” it said, adding “Import of wheat through Gwadar has marked the beginning of a new era of business, trade and commercial activities at Gwadar Port.” People of Balochistan especially Gwadar and Makran would be among the main beneficiaries of the increased business activities at the Gwadar port. “All the contractors, workforce, customs clearing agents, shipping agents, labour contractors, food suppliers etc. engaged in the operation of Gwadar port relating to imports by TCP (Trading Corporation of Pakistan) are 100% from local population . . . and it will definitely help uplift living standards of the people of Balochistan.”