Daily Times

BRUSSELS: Government of Balochistan would welcome foreign investors as there is great potential of investment in the province in wake of deep sea port Gwadar and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

This was said by Provincial Minister for Irrigation and Energy Nawabzada Changez Khan Marri who is leading a nine member delegation to Brussels.

The delegation held a meeting with the leading business concerns of Belgium and briefed them on the economic opportunities in the province of Balochistan, which is fast emerging as a hub of economic activity in the wake of infrastructure development in the form of deep sea port of Gwadar and CPEC.

The delegation is led by Provincial Minister for Irrigation and Energy Nawabzada Changez Khan Marri and includes Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, Minister for Health Rehmat Saleh Baloch, Members of Balochistan Assembly Nasrullah Khan, Ahmed Ali, Tahir Mahmood and Muhammad Raza, tribal notable Umair Ahmed Hussaini and the official spokesman of the Government of Balochistan AnwaarUl Haq Kakar is also accompanying the delegation.

While answering the queries of the businessmen, Anwaar Ul Haq, ensured that the security apparatus of the government was capable enough to protect the foreign nationals engaged in the economic activities in the entire Pakistan including Balochistan.

He further confirmed that opportunities existed for public-private partnerships in various areas of businesses and such partnerships already existed in mining, oil & gas and fisheries. He explained that CPEC would be completed in three phases with different kind of opportunities emanating from each phase including huge potential for the energy sector.

Balochistan has an area of 347,190 Sq Km with huge reserves of natural resources including gold, copper, natural gas and large variety of minerals. Its 750 km long coastline with one of the world’s biggest deep sea port of Gwadar makes the province an important hub of economic connectivity between various regions of the world, he added.

Earlier, the Economic Minister of Embassy, Omar Hameed gave presentation on the economic and investment paradigm of Pakistan with particular reference to Balochistan. The meeting was attended by a large number of Belgian businessmen from different sectors including agriculture, energy and shipping.