The Chinese operators of the Gwadar port - the China Overseas Ports Holding Company Pakistan Limited (COPHC) made a presentation on the prospects of the Gwadar port and its marketing plan to the committee, sources told The Express Tribune. A cabinet minister said that the plan lacked clarity on the strength of the Gwadar port - which is its strategic location. When contacted, a senior executive of COPHC said, “Gwadar port is in operation and is capable of handling any kind of cargo.”However, the road network is not being completed and all cargo of Gwadar has to go to the destination via Karachi, thus, reducing the competitiveness of Gwadar port, he added. Land resettlement, incentive policy are preventing further development of the Gwadar Free Zone. In February this year, the CPEC body had directed the Power Division to present a plan for power supply to Gwadar.

Source: The Express Tribune August 13, 2021 02:03 UTC