Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reiterated the government’s resolve to develop the Gwadar Sea Port as one of the best in the world.

He said the fate of the people of Balochistan especially of Gwadar would be changed through the ongoing development operation in across the province.

Addressing a laptop and cheques’ distribution ceremony here, he said when Nawaz Sharif was elected prime minister for the third time in 2013, he planned and launched multiple projects in power, infrastructure and other sectors in Gwadar.

However, he deplored that when he visited as prime minster last year here, he was shocked to note that, the previous government had abandoned work on all ongoing projects in the city.

He said despite 15 months of challenging time, the coalition government managed to lay foundation of development and prosperity in the country especially in Balochistan.

Balochistan, he said was rich in huge minerals and other natural resources which needed to be explored and the fruits of the development of the area would be given to the local people.

The local people must enjoy all the basic facilities in all sectors including health and education.

He said the draft of the Gwadar port was one the deepest among the world’s top ports, however dredging of the port which was a continuous process to prevent accumulating silt, was not ensured by the previous government.

Now he informed that the current government initiated the dredging process which would be completed by February next year.

He said in five years from 2017 to 2022, only 100,000 tons of goods could arrive here while goods of over 600,000 tons arrived here at the Gwadar Port during the 15 months of the incumbent government.

The prime minister announced that the laptop quota for Balochistan had now been increased to 14% against the 6% population share of the province.

He also directed the relevant authorities to further increase the laptop quota to 18% for next fiscal year.

PM Shehbaz said default risk for Pakistan had been averted due to support from the brotherly countries like China, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

The PM said the development of Balochistan at par with other provinces was inevitable, which faced “criminal negligence” during the previous government.

During a visit here, he inaugurated multiple development projects which, he said, were conceived during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure but were put to the backburners.

He told the newsmen that he had inaugurated a clean drinking water project, also launched by Nawaz Sharif in 2015 but faced an unnecessary delay since then.

Similarly, the dredging of Gwadar Port was planned in 2015 but could not be completed despite the fact it had reduced the port’s depth to impact the movement of heavy ships. However, the incumbent government executed the project on a war-footing basis wand was set to complete by early 2024.

The prime minister said during the last five years, cargo weighing 100,000 tons could be brought to the Gwadar Port comparing 600,000 during the last 14 months of the current government which benefited the locals including laborers, transporters, cold storage owners and others.

He said not only Pakistan, but other countries in the region will also benefit from the development of Gwadar Port.

He said the projects like Gwadar Export Zones also faced neglect in the past and an impression was created that Baloch locals were being neglected in the process which was not true.