Balochistan Updates

[Tornado23]

These terrorist attacks have a huge impact on ground. It deters investments, tourism, education, infrastructure construction as well as has immense effects on morale of the nation, troops as well as the terrorists themselves. This wave of resurgence of terrorism is backed with immense propaganda, which shows Pak Army as weak and cowardly.
The only way to deal with this is having outright victories in every single engagement, do this for half a year, and you'll see terrorists surrendering their arms like before.
There shouldn't be operations by specialized units, instead constant performance by entirety of FC.

Developments in balochistan such as Gwadar has so far not faulted due to these terrorists.

Morale of the nation I cannot say much on asides what I said. It hurts us to know about the troops being martyred.

Tourism... Well tourism has always been a bad thing since the 2000s with the ttp and what not. But its slowly coming back.

Infrastructure construction has not been hindered as much as you think.


These terrorists are scums. They will all burn. Although I have no idea why people think the taliban coming back to power is good thing for Pakistan.

The taliban today isn't the same mujahideen as the 80s.

 

[ghazi52]

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday performed the groundbreaking of phase two of the Gwadar Free Zone (GFZ) and launched a number of other development and infrastructure projects including an expo centre, agriculture industrial park and three factories.

During a single-day visit to Gwadar, the premier also inaugurated phase one of the GFZ, reviewed the progress on various development projects, and witnessed the signing of a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs).

He was given a detailed briefing on the progress of the south Balochistan development package in line with the government’s efforts of focusing on the province.

Projects unveiled:

• Gwadar Fertiliser Plant
• Gwadar Animal Vaccine Plant
• Henan Agricultural Industrial Park
• Hengmei Lubricants Plant
• Gwadar Free Zone Phase Two
• Gwadar Expo Centre

MoUs signed:

• Implementation agreement of 1.2 million gallons per day desalination plant
• Solar generators grant from China for south Balochistan

On the occasion, agreements were signed on solarisation and a desalination plant to solve the problems of Gwadar related to water and electricity.

In his address at the launching ceremony for the projects, the prime minister lamented that many areas in Pakistan including Balochistan had been left behind in development. He said development plans for Gwadar had been made for some time but the lack of any real implementation was due to common issues such as supply of water, electricity and gas, and connectivity with other areas.




"But in the time we are now seeing ahead, Gwadar is going to become a focal point from which all of Pakistan and especially Balochistan which was left behind [in development] will benefit," he added.

He said the "future of Gwadar" was being witnessed through the water and energy projects underway as well as the new international airport being constructed there which would connect Gwadar to other areas.

"I reiterate that any country can't meaningfully develop unless it has inclusive development and all areas develop," the premier said, adding that the government's biggest effort now was to develop neglected areas such as former Fata, Balochistan, northern areas and western districts of Punjab.

For Gwadar specifically, the prime minister announced a number of initiatives to promote human development such as a technical college, a hospital, university, cheap loans for farmers and poor households and a programme for uplifting of Gwadar's fishermen.

Prime Minister Imran said the government was also preparing to better facilitate and service investors through a one-window operation so they would be encouraged to come to free zones and set up plants and industries which could contribute to exports.

The increased exports would lead to wealth creation, correction of macroeconomic imbalance and job opportunities once demand for technical staff and trained labour increases, he added.

The premier said he wanted to see increased coordination between the federal and provincial governments to pull off the above steps to create a better atmosphere for investors.

He thanked China in particular and said Pakistan stood to benefit from its relations with the country. “Pakistan can benefit from its strategic location and also from the expertise of its friend China, which is becoming an economic power in the region,” he said.

Imran further said his office would directly and regularly monitor all progress on development projects in Gwadar on a monthly basis.

Speaking about the security situation, the prime minister said peace in Afghanistan remained a major concern and that the result of any violence or civil war would be felt on Gwadar's trade with Central Asian states. He said the his government was involved in efforts and had talked to Iran as well to bring the opposing parties in the Afghan conflict towards a political settlement.

Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar earlier said the free zone inaugurated by the prime minister in Gwadar's north was "35 times bigger than the phase 1 industrial zone of Gwadar".

"This reflects growing interest of Chinese and other investors in Gwadar free zone," he tweeted.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani also addressed the event, saying despite misconceptions that "we don't address the basic issues of Gwadar's people," a lot of work had been done by the government.

He cited initiatives such as the Eastbay Expressway, a 180-kilometre water pipeline which would connect multiple dams, a desalination plant, extension of the Gwadar hospital and efforts to bring a university to Gwadar. The chief minister added that aside from the mega projects, a lot was being done to address the needs of the people and local communities.

 

[Moon]

Developments in balochistan such as Gwadar has so far not faulted due to these terrorists.

Not directly, but landgrabbers, smugglers etc... Use these guys to do their bidding for them.

Infrastructure construction has not been hindered as much as you think

May not be "hindered", but news of laborers being kidnapped and executed on a weekly basis does put off many trying to go and work there.

These terrorists are scums. They will all burn

They aren't being burnt fast enough, heck they're burning us more.

Although I have no idea why people think the taliban coming back to power is good thing for Pakistan.

The taliban today isn't the same mujahideen as the 80s

Agreed, even the Mujahideen stabbed us in the back.

 

[ghazi52]

Gwadar Port Completed
Gwadar Free Zone Phase-1 Completed 60 Acres

Ground Breaking of Gwadar Phase-2 by PMIK Today
2200 Acres Free Zone
MOUs for Gwadar City
1.2M Gallon Desalination plant
Solar Projects
300 MW Coal Power Project

 

[ghazi52]

"Over Rs. 600 billion package for South Balochistan,
53 projects have been included in this year's development program." * Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar's briefing on South Balochistan package.

 

[ghazi52]

To benefit from the geo-strategic location of Gwadar, CPEC aims at changing socioeconomic landscape of the city. For this purpose, several infrastructure & energy projects are underway to transform Gwadar into modern state-of-the-art centre of global economic activity.

 

[ghazi52]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=772982190052405

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan launching Sun Salt project worth $750m in Gwadar Balochistan.

All Pakistan Salt Association (APSA) informed this during a meeting with an advisor to Prime Minister on commerce Razak Dawood.

The association has requested the advisor to withdraw the sales tax the government had imposed in the current budget 2021-22.

President association said that they are launching a huge project in Gawadar for making Sun Salt for industrial usage. The project size is around 750 Million US $ and it will be completed in phases, the first phase will be completed in two-year times.

After the start of the first phase around 400-500 Million, US $ exports will increase from that project. Another senior member also shared his proposed project of Soda Ash in Khushab. He said that if that project is initiated successfully then a sizable number of locals will be employed and exports will also increase.

 

[ghazi52]

EU, Unicef to launch ‘Balochistan Education Support’ programme


Amin Ahmed
July 11, 2021

The programme will contribute to the overall objective of improving literacy, numeracy, skills and qualifications for the people in the province.


ISLAMABAD: The European Union and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) have signed an agreement to launch the ‘Balochistan Education Support’ (BES), a five-year education development programme for which the EU will provide 17.4 million euros (Rs3.27 billion).

The programme aims to support the Balochistan government to build high-quality performance and management education systems in the province. It will contribute to the overall objective of improving literacy, numeracy, skills and qualifications for the people in the province, it was announced on Saturday.

It will do so through improving access to quality primary and middle-level education and by increasing accountability, reporting and transparency of the Secondary Education Department.

The overall cost of the project is 22.2 million euros which Unicef co-financing will be 4.8m euros (Rs0.92bn).

For five-year project EU will provide Rs3.27bn

BES-II is providing continuity to the Balochistan Basic Education Programme (BBEP) for which the EU and Unicef partnered in 2016, and which has helped education authorities in the province take a major leap forward in providing quality education to all children and young people, boys and girls, in the province.

The new programme will help build on all successful reform initiatives of the BBEP such as the new performance management system, the newly established Balochistan Assessment and Examination Commission, strengthened and expanded parent-teacher school management committees, local education councils and the school development process.

Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said, “An educated young generation is the basis for Pakistan to pursue a path of inclusive growth and development. Education is a basic human right and key to ensuring that people do not fall behind in society and in life.

“The EU is committed to ensuring access to quality education for all boys and girls in Balochistan, which would enable them to follow their dreams and contribute to a better future for Pakistan. The pandemic has had a significant impact on education and our support will focus on addressing some of these challenges.

“The EU will continue to work closely with its partners including the government of Balochistan and Unicef to support and strengthen Pakistan’s education system.”

The EU’s support on primary and secondary education is a priority area under the EU-Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan, which serves as a guide for bilateral relations between the two sides and aims to further enhance engagement and work towards addressing emerging global challenges.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province in terms of land area, faces serious challenges in the areas of quality of education, access, low educational outcomes and poor governance.

While substantial progress was being made under the BBEP, the Covid-19 crisis adversely affected the gains made in the education sector, as schools remained closed for nearly the entire academic year.

“The setback to educational activities due to Covid-19 must not deter us from trying to provide a better and brighter future for the children and young people of Balochistan,” said Unicef Representative in Pakistan, Aida Girma.

“Led by the Education department, supported by generous funding from the EU and encouraged by the resilience and determination of the people, Unicef will endeavour to translate children’s right to education into outcomes.

“The BES-II will go a long way to help achieve the long-term targets set in the BBEP and the new initiatives reflected in the programme.”

To make up for the academic time lost due to Covid-19, additional activities have been included in BES-II. These include training of teachers on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for school health and safety, tailoring enrolment drives to ensure that children return to education and providing alternatives for children who drop out due to economic impact of the crises.

In Pakistan, the EU is committed to a stable, democratic and pluralistic country that respects human rights and benefits from its full economic potential by supporting sustainable and inclusive development for all its citizens.

The EU provides Pakistan with about 100 million euros annually in grants for development and cooperation.


Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2021

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

Eastbay Expressway Gwadar:

19km 4 lanes (14.5 offshore completed & 4.5 onshore under construction.)
2000 direct jobs.
Progress-92%.
Completion Oct 2021.

 

[ghazi52]

Sabzal Road Quetta

 

[ghazi52]

CPEC projects lay 2,500 km of roads in Balochistan: CM Jam Kamal Khan


July 14, 2021





QUETTA, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 13th Jul, 2021 ) :Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Tuesday said the incumbent government has completed 2500 kilo meters of roads in the province to boost economic activity in the province.

He said this year, 1,800 km of roads would be built, whereas 10,000 km to be completed by the next five years. He said the province was enriched with immense mineral wealth and resources.

There is a wide range of investments in minerals, energy, livestock, agriculture, fisheries and tourism opportunities in the province, he said adding, the government was providing all possible facilities to the investors in Balochistan.

The Chief Minister expressed these views while addressing at a conference on business opportunities in province organized under contribution of Balochistan board of Investment and Trade and Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Provincial Minister Mitha Khan Kakar, Chief Minister’s Coordinator Bilal Khan Kakar, Provincial Secretaries, Balochistan Board of Investment Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Saeed Ahmed Sarpra, Rawalpindi President of Chamber of Commerce Nasir Mirza, Group Leader of the Chamber Sohail Altaf and Balochistan Chamber of Commerce Commerce officials and businessmen were also present at the conference.

He said the business community was the most important for the improvement of the economy in the country.

He said the foreign investment could be enhanced through better infrastructure and offering good opportunities to investors.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan said in the past the economic development of the province was ignored due to lack of planning for the industrial zone.

However, the incumbent government has adopted a comprehensive strategy for special economic zones, he said adding, Balochistan is rich in natural resources especially natural salt, fish, minerals and livestock reserves, beside chromites, gold and silver which are present in abundance in Muslim Bagh and Sendak.
“These projects need to be innovated”, he said adding, the Federal and provincial governments have started a number of projects for the development of the province.

He said for the first time in the border areas of the province, establishment of nine border markets was planned, out of which three have been approved.

The Chief Minister said plans were being made to build a road connecting Karachi with Iran which would be the shortest route. He said there were ample opportunities for trade and investment in Balochistan.
This is the for the first time that the government had organized an international livestock expo, while seminars had been arranged for the promotion of tourism and minerals in the province, he said.

 

[ghazi52]

Gwadar to get 1.2 MGD water desalination plant

July 15, 2021


Islamabad : The government has approved 1.2 MGD (million gallon per day) water desalination plant for Gwadar with help of Chinese grant of over Rs2 billion to provide fresh potable water for the people of the Gwadar city.

The much delayed project highlights the mismanagement for a project of critical importance. Despite approval of 2 MGD desalination plant in 2006 under Musharraf/Shaukat Aziz regime, at an estimated cost of Rs378 million, the project could not be realised for 14 to 15 years. Initially, the federal government had approved the development scheme for desalination of water on the basis of 50:50 % cost sharing formula by the Center and Balochistan’s provincial government respectively.

The federal government had also released its funding of Rs138 million but the project could not be installed. The provincial government then asked the Center to revise the project cost and foot the entire bill while expressing inability to undertake it on a cost sharing basis.

Later the cost of this project was revised upwards to Rs978 million. The Centre released the remaining Rs840 million out of the total Rs978 million as it had already provided Rs138 million for the project. Despite releasing the whole entire amount, the 2MGD desalination plant could not become operational. Now with some stroke of luck the PC-1 for construction of 1.2 MGD Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant with allied infrastructure to provide fresh water to inhabitants of Gwadar, especially residing in the project area, was approved by the CDWP here on Monday night.

The population of Gwadar city had no reliable and sustainable access to drinking water for a very long time. Their main source of water is Ankara Dam which due to frequent droughts is unable even to meet the drinking water requirements of the city’s population. The residents have been forced to buy sometimes expensive water for their daily consumption. The current water requirement of the Gwadar City is 4.2MGD per day while supply from the government source is 2.0 MGD. Within Gwadar city, the only available natural source of water is sea, therefore the Sea Water ROD plant is likely to resolve the basic issue of the residents of the city.

 

[ghazi52]

China working to develop economic forest industry in Gwadar

July 16, 2021





Professor Wang Sen from the Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT) has said that China is working to develop Gwadar’s forest industry while also building a port. He has been spearheading research on tropical arid desert of Gwadar since 2018 and has cultivated a garden at Gwadar with various species of woody and floral plants. He is of the view that if economic crops are planted, the forests can grow thicker with time. This project is also supported by Pakistani Ministry of Climate Change, University of Karachi, and Indus University.


“We not only try to build a beautiful port, but also want to develop the economic forest industry in the Gwadar city,” said Professor Wang Sen from the Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT) in an interview to China Economic Net (CEN).

Professor Wang, an expert on economic forestry, has been committed to cultivating tropical arid economic plants in Gwadar since late 2018 when the Gwadar port was a stretch of desert. The sight of the barren land inspired him to pioneer a research on tropical arid economic forest in a bid to bring both ecological and economic value to the hub. “Even in the temperate zone with sufficient rain and fertile soil, trees may die, let alone on a tropical arid desert”.

Despite the technical difficulties, Professor Wang compiled a comprehensive record of the tropical arid economic plants in Gwadar and established a tissue culture lab along with necessary laboratories for disinfection, breeding, etc. under the support of Yulin Holdings and China Overseas Holding Group.

Woody grain and oil species, woody fodder species, and woody floral species are being or have been introduced to the cultivation demonstration garden at Gwadar.

For example, a kind of Chinese jujube called “zhongqiusucui”, a new type that was cultivated by Professor Wang and matures around the Mid-autumn festival, or “Zhongqiu”, has successfully grown in the garden. Resistant to drought and rich in vitamin, it has the potential to provide nutrition for the vessels at the port.

Fruit is another important part of economic forests. “We are now focusing on naseberry, a raw material of jam with high nutritious value”, Professor Wang told CEN. A germplasm resource garden of tropical arid economic plants is under construction based on previous investigations on hundreds of local germplasm.

By collecting and making the specimen of representative plants viable in tropical arid regions, the team aims to identify germplasm with high economic value and preserve them in the form of living plants. Furthermore, the breeding technique is being explored through genetic research.

“Unlike some food crops that require continuous cropping, which undermines soil fertility, economic crops like jujube can grow for decades”. According to Professor Wang, to discover and develop a suitable species that can survive in tropical arid regions not only serves innovation in scientific research, but more importantly, it complies with Pakistan’s green initiative and holds the prospect to alleviate poverty, as has been proved in China.

Once successful in the laboratory, it can be promoted in other “Belt and Road” countries with similar climate. Based on the tropical arid economic forest laboratory, Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT), the birthplace of China’s economic forestry discipline, is providing post-doctoral education to Pakistani students.

The project is also supported by Pakistani Ministry of Climate Change, University of Karachi, and Indus University.