Daily Times

Federal Minister for Defense Production Zubaida Jalal Tuesday said that Gwadar Shipyard would be owned by the government of Balochistan which was being acquired by the federal government under equity.

She expressed these views while addressing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Balochistan and Federal Governments regarding the at Gwadar shipyard at the Chief Minister Secretariat. Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Jam Kamal Khan, Provincial Ministers including Mir Muhammad Saleem Khosa, Mir Arif Jan Muhammad Hasani, Parliamentary Secretary for Information Bushra Rind and concerned provincial and federal officials were present on the occasion.

The federal minister said the capacity of Gwadar Shipyard would be much greater than Karachi Shipyard which would be significant for improvement in economy of Balochistan. She said the professional training of HIT would be provided to youth of Balochistan in Gwadar Institute and Karachi Shipyard to enable them to work outside the country after making them skilled. Workshop will be established for repairing ships in Gwadar in order to provide better facilities in the area, she added.

Zubaida Jalal further said the federal government has taken the responsibility of providing basic facilities to the local population in the area saying no one would be evicted from Gwadar but a comprehensive plan was being made to provide basic necessities of life including education and health to the local population. “The government has assured full cooperation for the development of Gwadar and its environs and in this regard, whatever demand has been made by Balochistan is being seriously implemented, she added.

The CM said that the province will move towards financial self-reliance with projects like Gwadar Shipyard. He said local people would not be expelled from Gwadar but their standard of living could be raised under compressive plan. Earlier, Memorandum of Understand (MoU) between Balochistan and Federal regimes was signed on Gwadar Shipyard in supervision of Zubaida Jalal and Chief Minister Balochistan.