Islamabad: The Senate’s Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives on Friday directed the authorities concerned to expedite the pace of developmental work required for the construction of the road and railway network designed to link Gwadar city with rest of the country, according to news sources.
The instructions were given in a meeting chaired by Senator Agha Shahzaib Khan Durrani. The meeting observed that the development of Gwadar’s road and railway network was of paramount importance. In this regard, Pakistan Railways was also asked to give a detailed briefing on the current status, issues, hindrances and long term plan of prospective projects.
During the meeting, Director General of the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) briefed the meeting attendees about the Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan. The attendees learned that the master plan for the city was focused on two elements — the Gwadar Port and Gwadar City. The masterplan aims to create strategic objectives, create sustainable development opportunities and come up with initiatives and measures to promote Gwadar as a special economic district.
The GDA informed the meeting that the masterplan also aims to identify Gwadar’s competitive advantages, facilitate tourism, promote public-private partnerships and industrial developments. The plan also includes an inception report, alternative plan report, diagnostic report and integrated report.
The NA body was told that as per the master plan, the land division in Gwadar is as follows:
Old town area covers 4,000 acres
The residential area covers 22,000 acres
The commercial area covers 2,000 acres
The industrial area on east bay encompasses 19,000 acres
The meeting stressed that there was an urgent need to provide basic facilities like electricity and high-speed internet in order to fulfil the pre-set objectives set out for the development of Gwadar. The senate body was also updated on the status of various civic amenities and challenges hindering the ongoing urban development initiatives initiated within the city.
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