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Balochistan Updates

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Road safety Work At RCD Highway Kalat Interchange to Quetta.. N-25


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Islamabad : A dedicated CPEC artery, Eastbay Expressway, linking Gwadar port to China, is likely to be open to all commercial traffic on May 16 after Eidul Azha.

The 19-kilometer-long six-lane road is the main artery of Gwadar Port, through which the entire traffic of the port will realise the dream of making Gwadar a logistic and economic hub of the region in line with objectives of CPEC as well as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The expressway will provide primary connectivity between the port & its Free Zone I and Free Zone II with Makran Coastal Highway (N-10) and Motorway 8 (CPEC’s Western route) for smooth logistic transportation of import, export, and transit goods to Khujrab, border of China.

In an interview with Gwadar Pro, Eastbay Expressway Project Director Imam Buksh Bezenjo, official of Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), said that ribbon-cutting of the Eastbay Expressway is highly expected on May 16.

“Since we have run test-drive successfully recently, we will complete all major works including road marking, installation of cat-eyes, erection of boards of signage & direction signs and installation of cameras in April, the Eastbay Expressway will be open to traffic in May,” he added.

“Countdown has started as a few days are left to inaugurate the Eastbay Expressway that has also played an important role in creation of jobs. Since the beginning till date, around 1,300 locals of Gwadar have been employed,” he replied.

GPA manager operation Capt. Gul Muhammad said that GPA and China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) have cooperated in mega work from designing, modeling and physical construction of the Eastbay Expressway
 
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Surgeon General interacted with doctors & staff of GDA Hospital & briefed on administrative & operational dimensions of the hospital which is jointly managed by GDA & Army.. She also inaugurated oxygen generation plant donated by NCOC for the people of Gwadar.

Later she was escorted to GAPS Auditorium for her talk to women of Gwadar on women empowerment. Women from all strata of society to include teachers, students,


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Gwadar Sea Port...

Gwadar has commenced its foremost LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Terminal.
The new provision was officially initiated by the Chinese Counsel General in Karachi, Li Bijian.

Functioning began with the advent of the Gas Carrier Gas Esco, transporting 3,900 tonnes of LPG on a voyage from Sohar in Oman.

“Today a new era of economic development has commenced in Balochistan’s port city of Gwadar as International LPG trade has trade has started here.” Counsel General Li Bijian quoted while the inauguration ceremony...
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Cold storage facility to be established in Balochistan

The Newspaper's Staff
April 20, 2022

QUETTA: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations on Tuesday signed a grant agreement for establishing a cold storage facility in Balochistan.

FAO Representative in Pakistan Florence Rolle, Balochistan Agriculture Secretary Umaid Ali Khokar, FAO Provincial International Programme Coordinator Waleed Mahdi, the project coordinator as well as government officials from the agriculture department and other FAO Balochistan staff attended the agreement signing ceremony.

The project, ‘The Horticulture Advancement Activity’ or THAzA, was funded by the United States Agency for International Department (USAID). It will support establishing the cold storage facility of 300 tonnes capacity to help farmers in Balochistan prolong the shelf life and marketability of their produce — ultimately resulting in increased profitable income and protecting farmers from financial losses during fluctuations in market prices.

The facility will increase incomes of farmers by strengthening connections between horticultural producers in Balochistan and markets across the country.


FAO signs grant agreement


The project, implemented in Balochistan and the newly merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is designed to improve completeness of the potential horticultural value chains within the target regions and markets.

In her opening remarks, Ms Rolle said that FAO was working with farmers and smallholder producers to make agriculture work for the most vulnerable communities through this project. “We have to show the people, especially the youth, that agriculture is an income-generating occupation that is worth investing in. We have to open up opportunities for job creation for the youth through competitive agricultural value chains and food processing,” she said.

Agriculture Secretary Umaid Ali Khokar said cold storage facilities were crucial to minimise post-harvest losses, however, it was one component that needs to be integrated in a cold chain network from the point of harvest to the point of purchase by the end consumer.

FAO International Programme Coordinator in Balochistan Waleed Mahdi expressed the hope that the first-ever high-level grant in Balochistan would address the problems that farmers and traders previously faced.

He said the farmers in Balochistan could now reap the benefits of cold storage and would be able to store their produce for long and to avoid peak season glut in the markets and resultant low prices for producers.

Mr Mahdi said THAzA project supported through in-kind matching grants aiming to address major impediments in the trading of fresh horticultural produce.

He said that it was good to see that the FAO’s technical support to smallholder producers and government institutions had already helped increase productive capacities in fresh fruits and vegetables, and spurred access to high-quality support services.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2022
 
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Quetta: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of section one and two of Khuzdar- Kachlak 4- lane National Highway.

According to the details, Khuzdar -Kachla National Highway in Quetta, the distance of 813 km from Khuzdar and Kachlak, Karachi to Chaman is called a bloody route, It is 303 km.. This section will solve the problems.
 
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Commercial production of Panjgur dates production factory has started.

The project is established in Panjgur area of Balochistan with a cost of $6 and a half million dollars by Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

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Govt to establish first-ever education city in South Waziristan

Mohammad Ashfaq
April 25, 2022


PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has planned to establish education city in militancy-stricken South Waziristan tribal district.

It will be the first-ever such initiative of its kind in the province. The “South Waziristan Education City” will comprise schools, colleges and sub-campuses of different universities established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.

The education city will be established in Barwand, situated in the Mehsud-dominated area of the tribal district. South Waziristan remained a hub of terrorism during the previous two decades. Education institutions in the Mehsud area were badly affected where militant groups had either destroyed schools or converted them into their hideouts.

The project director of the education city, Dr Najeebullah, told Dawn that the first phase of the education city would take three years to complete at a cost of Rs2.5 billion. He said that education city would be set up on 7,000-kanal piece of land. He added that government would not spend a single penny on purchasing such a vast tract of land as the locals had given it free of cost for the purpose.

First phase of project to be completed in three years at cost of Rs2.5 billion
Dr Najeebullah, a PhD from Cambridge University UK in material sciences, said that Provincial Development Working Party already approved the allocated fund for the project.

He has successfully executed a multi-billion project of setting up US Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Energy at University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar. He has successfully launched establishment of University of Engineering and Applied Sciences Swat as project director.

Dr Najeebullah said that government would construct roads, boundary walls, sewerage system and carry out electrification while rest of the project would be executed through public-private partnership.

He said that along with educational facilities, the education city would also provide state-of-the-art sports facilities to people by establishing complexes, cricket stadium and football ground etc. He added that a solar park of one megawatt would also be established during the first phase of the project.

Asked why Waziristan was selected for the education city, the project director said that the major reason of selecting the tribal district for the purpose was to engage youth and remove sense of deprivation among them.

The second reason, he said, was to exploit the available natural resources in the form of mines and minerals and bring a paradigm shift in agriculture in the area through cutting edge research and innovation.

Similarly, Dr Najeebullah said, the education city would help to counter the menace of terrorism, violence and would provide business opportunities to people at their doorsteps through entrepreneurial ventures and technology transfer.

He said that they would focus on maintaining gender balance and empowerment of women of the terrorism-hit areas by providing quality education and business opportunities to them.

Dr Najeebullah said there will be no new university in the education city rather sub-campuses of reputed institutions would be established there. He said that sub-campuses of reputed universities would not comprise on quality education instead of trial experimentations.

“We already have 33 public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and setting up new university is quite expensive. It needs huge human resources. So establishing sub-campuses is a good option,” he said.

Dr Najeebullah said that Khyber Medical University had already shown interest to develop sub-campus in the education city. “Under the plan, a teaching hospital is envisaged to provide the best health facilities to the locals,” he added.

He said that the education city would not be specifically for the people of Waziristan, rather students from entire country would be eligible to get education there. Skill development and short-term diplomas will be the major component of the education city to provide hands on experience and skills to youth.

He said that project management unit would soon be set up for which many posts were advertised in the newspapers. The PMU will also be responsible for making business plans and media/marketing plans for attracting private investors and reputed educational institutions to establish their campuses in the education city.

“The PMU will also be tasked to explore fund raising from international donor agencies and establish linkages with international educational institutions,” said Dr Najeebullah.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2022
 
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Gwadar Airport, Gwadar Balochistan.
Date 1930s
Those days Gwadar was a refueling point for the planes flying from Britain to India.

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April 1934: A line of camels is led past the Imperial Airways liner ‘Hanno’ at Gwadar.
 
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The Universal Service Fund (USF) is set to launch a fibre-optic project for Gwadar to bring 4G compatible high speed internet and telecom services to the region. The project is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.

The USF has finalised paperwork for several projects, including 400km fibre-optic project in Gwadar and 4G services in the Loralai area of Balochistan, apart from upgrading data services to 4G in Vehari, Lodhran, Sialkot, Narowal, Nankan Sahib and Sheikhpura of Punjab.

Sources in the Ministry of Information Technology said all these projects were in the process of finalisation and would start work after getting approvals from the USF board. “Tentative date to start these projects is set for the last week of June and will be completed in 12-18 months,” the official said.

Apart from residential and commercial districts, the USF has an extensive plan to cover the national road arteries. The project regarding IT and telecom services on 309km Faisalabad-Multan M4 Motorway is also likely to be launched next month.

About the highways and motorways project, Minister for IT and Telecom Syed Aminul Haque told Dawn that USF’s motorways and national highways programme had achieved broadband coverage on more than 1,929km of unserved road segments across the country.

“We are committed to providing uninterrupted mobile network on all major highways of the country because it enhances safe travel, improves the local economy and eventually boosts the IT and telecom sector,” the minister said.

He added that infrastructure development for uninterrupted high speed mobile broadband services was essential on national highways as it was one of the prerequisites for the country to launch 5G service in future.

The USF projects on Lahore-Abdul Hakeem M3 Motorway and 392km Multan-Sukkur M5 Motorway will be completed by the end of this year.

Makran coastal highway and NH 50-70 in Balochistan have already been covered with telecom services, but work on some part of N-25 (RCD Highway) and N65 (Quetta-Jacobabad Highway) has stalled due to local political issues and the authorities were not giving NOC to install telecom towers.

Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, the Chief Executive Officer of USF, said the notables of the area, including elected representatives of Balochistan, had been approached to help resolve the matter so that all mainstream highways could be provided coverage.

The upcoming projects of the USF included powering of telecommunication site through solar energy, especially in remote areas where the supply of fuel to power generation is difficult.

Since 2018, the USF has launched 56 projects amounting to more than Rs52 billion for providing optic-fibre cable and broadband services across the country.

The USF is a subsidiary of the IT ministry tasked with expanding internet and telecom services to remote areas of the country where telecom companies and internet service providers do not enter as such areas are not commercially viable.

The fund consists of 1.5 per cent of adjusted revenues of telecom operators and various contracts for development of IT and telecom infrastructures are awarded through auction and the amount is paid from the fund.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2022
 

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