Sana Samad
The work on construction of a 10 square kilometer industrial free Zone in Gwadar has started and port city will create more than 40,000 jobs. The Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) chairman Dostain Khan Jamaldini stated that the construction of Gwadar Free Zone has begun, where Chinese, Middle Easter, European and Pakistani investors have decided to establish 300 factories to work on different projects. It will be full of advantages for everyone.
The work for the new roads network, railway track and communication infrastructure which would link the Chinese Province Xinjiang to Gwadar has also started. China is provided $46 billion for the construction of CPEC route infrastructure to make the roads and railway track in different parts of the country including Skardu-Hoshab, Gwadar-Rato Dero, Multan-Sukkur, Mashal Kot-Zhob and other areas where the roads will work.
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The CPEC is a golden chance for the Pakistan, for its development. It can decrease the unemployment rate by creating thousands of jobs, especially for the Gwadar people. Besides this, power plant of 300 Mega Watts is being established under CPEC in Gwadar, which would run on coal, diesel and gas. It end finish electricity shortage in many areas.
The CPEC road network is about to be completed by 2018 with several projects till 2030. The technical and vocational training centers are being launched in various areas including Gwadar, Quetta, Khuzdar and other areas of Balochistan, in order to train the youth in industrial parks being established in Balochistan, as the part of CPEC. A 19 kilometers long East Bay Expressway would connect Gwadar International Airport to Gwadar Seaport which is about to be finished in 2018. Early Harvest Projects are being executed in Gwadar, a cost of Rs 14 billion.
The CPEC project is a great chance for the Pakistan to resolve the energy crisis and government should find a solution for the energy crisis. As the project includes $33 billion energy projects such as Coal, Hydroelectric Power Projects which will provide 10,400 MW of electricity to the national grid by 2018.
Still, questions are rising that will it develop Gwadar or Balochistan. As, Gwadar is one of the most backward districts, located in Balochistan province. Since 2013, nothing is been given to Gwadar’s people and still suffering from umpteenth problems. So, will the people of Gwadar get the advantage of job opportunities is the question to be answered.
Let us hope! CPEC will give profit to the citizens of Gwadar and other cities of Balochistan. It should not only develop Punjab, which has the largest and most developed cities but the golden chances should be given to Sindh, KP and Balochistan itself, where the CPEC route passes through.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and Balochistan Voices not necessarily agrees with them.
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