GAWADAR : Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir said thatthe Gawadar Port will be the gateway for the economic development ofPakistan and the region.
The President made these remarks in a statement issued here at theInternational Gawadar Expo 2018 wherein the Prime Minister of PakistanShahid Khaqan Abbasi also launched the first phase of the Free EconomicZone Gawadar.
President AJK said that under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor Pakistanwill enter a new phase of economic development and will be a key player inthe economic transformation of the region. CPEC is not only a connectivityroad but brings with it major development projects focusing on powergeneration, the establishment of industrial zones, technical cooperation inthe fields of agriculture, banking, and science and technology.
He added that not only will CPEC be vital in the economic development butwill also help generate employment and prosperity for the people ofPakistan. Under this initiative, he said, the vision of One Belt One roadwill become a reality helping establish Pakistan’s economic linkages withCentral Asian States.
The President thanked the Chinese companies and Government for prioritizingdevelopment projects in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.
The President said that Azad Kashmir has now become a formal part of theCPEC and major development projects have been earmarked for completion. Hesaid that under the auspices of CPEC Kohala Hydropower Project, KarotHydropower Project are under different phases of completion and planning.He added that a state of the art Industrial Zone will be established inMirpur which will be connected to the main CPEC route at Mansehra throughan Expressway. The Expressway will connect major districts of Azad Kashmirwith Pakistan helping provide modern connectivity and logistical support toindustries within Azad Kashmir.
The President invited investors to explore avenues in the developingeconomic landscape of Azad Kashmir. He said, Azad Kashmir has rich depositsof minerals like granite, phosphate, graphite, bentonite, bauxite, gold andcoal, in varying quantities, along with some of the finest reserves ofruby, sapphire, topaz and tourmaline. Through research, enterprise, use ofsophisticated machinery and public-private partnerships, minerals can beextracted through modern means to gain maximum output, he said.
The AJK President said that in the next 10 years, in collaboration withPakistan, Azad Kashmir is planning to generate 8000 MW of electricity outof which 3000 MW projects are under different phases of implementation andplanning.
President Masood Khan said that we are focusing on developing a skilledhuman resources to meet the challenges of the growing job market andemployment opportunities to be generated under CPEC and other developmentprojects.
President Masood Khan said that Azad Kashmir must now being perceived as anasset, not a liability and it is our determination to becomeself-sufficient and an economic engine for Pakistan. It already is, hesaid, a strong rampart for Pakistan’s security and defence.
The Expo was attended by Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir HaselBazenjo, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Dr. Ahsan Iqbal,Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, Chairman Joint Chiefs of StaffCommittee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat and members provincial cabinet.
Orignally published by NNI