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Balochistan will soon become regional
trade gateway: Raisani
QUETTA: Balochistan will be connected
through a railway network with other provinces and also Iran and
Afghanistan following which the province will become trade gateway
in the region, said Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam
Raisani on Tuesday.
“The Gawadar port will get
international significance for trade activities after completion of
laying of railway network connecting the province with other
provinces as well as with the neighbouring countries,” Raisani said
during a meeting with Federal Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed
Bilour and presiding over a high level meeting, which reviewed the
railways projects in the province.
The chief minister said he had asked
the prime minister to initiate railway services on Bostan-Zhob-Dera
Ismail Khan route following which Balochistan will be connected
through railway line with NWFP.
He said the Chaman-Kandahar and
Taftan-Tehran train services will also be started in order to
facilitate the people with railway services in the region. He said
the commencement of the train services would not only facilitate the
people but would also enhance import and export activities in the
region.
He said completion of laying railway
track from Gawadar to Mastung will bolster trade significance of
Gawadar port city in the region. The chief minister extended his
profound gratitude to the railways minister for starting train
shuttle service between Quetta and Kuchlak.
Speaking on the occasion, Bilor said
preliminary work on Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan and Chaman-Kandahar
railway track had been completed while work on the remaining portion
of the railway line would be started soon.
Bilor said the Cargo-Container Train
Services (CCTS) would be started between Islamabad and Tehran on
August 14, 2009, adding the CCTS would run from Islamabad via Quetta
and Taftan following which it would enter Iran.
Referring to the Gawadar-Mastung
railway track, the federal minister said its preliminary feasibility
report had been prepared which had also been sent to the planning
division for consideration and subsequent approval.
The News:Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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