QUETTA, Nov 20: Oman has given a grant of $17 million to the Balochistan government for building an airport of international standard in Gwadar. According to official sources, 43,000 acres of land have been acquired for the airport that will have latest facilities.

The Civil Aviation Authority`s Director General Air Marshal (retd) Khalid Chaudhry discussed the project with Balochistan Chief Secretary Mir Ahmed Bakhsh Lehri.

The airport will be designed for both passenger and cargo flights.

The sources said the provincial government was taking serious steps to make Gwadar the winter capital of Balochistan besides making the port functional.

“The chief secretary has issued directives to ensure reopening of a five-star hotel in the town that was closed a few months ago,” they said, adding that the hotel`s administration had been asked to take steps in this regard.

The chief secretary and the Chief Minister`s Principal Secretary Hafiz Abdul Basit have held meetings in Gwadar to increase the pace of the implementation of the government`s announcement that the town will be the provincial capital from October to March each year.

About 80 per cent construction work on a district and provincial complex and major portions of other official buildings have been completed and the government has asked contractor companies to accelerate the work. The government is also mulling over holding a session of the Balochistan Assembly in Gwadar and local officials have been asked to review arrangements in this regard.

The decision by Nawab Aslam Raisani`s government to make Gwadar the winter capital has increased the importance of the coastal town.

“The move will have a deep impact on the economy and trade of the region and will also help remove the sense of deprivation among local people,” provincial minister Mir Hamal Kalamati said.

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani has declared Gwadar as the winter capital of Balochistan.

“Gwadar will be the winter provincial capital of Balochistan from Oct 21 to March 3,” the chief minister announced here on Wednesday.

He directed all government departments to make necessary arrangements for implementing the decision.

The proposal of making the coastal town the winter capital of the province was made by Speaker Aslam Bhootani two years ago.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Asim Hussain said that Iran has made an offer to Pakistan regarding energy requirements and the government is working on the project with the active assistance of the Ministry of Water and Power.

Talking to VOA, Dr. Asim Hussain said that Iran offered Pakistan 1000MW electricity to cope with the energy crisis. For this purpose, a project for laying transmission line is also under consideration, he added.

He said Pakistan is making efforts to meet its energy requirements of gas and electricity through different sources adding that if Pakistan imports electricity from Iran, its cost will be affordable for Pakistan.

He said that Pakistan is currently importing 35MW electricity for Gwadar and work is underway on a project to enhance it up to 1000MW. It is also making efforts to implement proposed gas pipeline project from Iran since 1990.

Replying to a question regarding future of Pak-Iran gas pipeline project, Dr. Asim Hussain said that we are working on this project, but we are also looking at international scenario and will move on it accordingly.

GWADAR: The Chief Ministers of four provinces on Wednesday signed the historic 7th National Finance Commission Award, marking a great step forward to the strengthening of the federation. The ceremony at the picturesque Gwadar, in the Balochistan province, was witnessed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and members of the Cabinet. The venue was specially chosen to reflect the desire of all the provinces to end years of deprivation of the largest province of the country.

The Award was inked by finance ministers of the four provinces in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani, and Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin. The new Award would come into effect from the next financial year and marks the agreement by all the federating units over the distribution of financial resources among the provinces by the federal government on annual basis. Under the award, the population will be given 82 percent weightage, poverty 10.3 percent, revenue collection 5 percent (2.5 percent revenue generation, 2.5 percent revenue collection), and area 2.7 percent. Under the new NFC Award, the federation met the demand of the provincial governments for a greater share in the national resources.

The provincial share of the divisible pool would increase from 47.5 percent to 56 percent in the first year of NFC, and 57.5 percent in the remaining years of the Award. Under the new formula, Punjab would get 51.74 percent from the divisible pool, Sindh 24.55 percent, NWFP 14.62 percent and Balochistan 9.09 percent. In the new award, Punjab has given up 1.27 percent, Sindh 0.39 percent and NWFP 0.26 percent, while Balochistan has gained.

ISLAMABAD: A German delegation Friday called on minister for Railways, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and discussed matters of mutual interests and future cooperation in railways, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and human resources development. The delegation comprised German Consular Head Press and Economic Section Dr Gregor Schotten and Minister Counselor Deputy Head of Mission Stephan Roken. During the meeting, the Railways’ Minister sought German cooperation in CDM and infrastructural development including signaling, environment and low carbon emission. He requested the German government to provide grants or soft loans in these sectors and also sought cooperation in freight train management, adding that in 1970, the Islamabad Carriage Factory was established following technical and economic cooperation by the German government. The delegation assured the government of Pakistan for maximum possible cooperation in CDM, human resource development and hinted at support for standard gauge for new railway lines from Gwadar to Afghanistan, Iran and Havelian to China. The delegation said Pakistan railways is environment friendly so it could be realised that investment could be made by German government in Pakistan’s railways sector to make it more environment friendly and pollution-free. The delegation also reassured cooperation in Rolling Stock and highlighted various aspects of Pak-German historic ties in economic and other sectors, hoping that these relations would enrich in future. Secretary Ministry of Railways and chairman Pakistan Railway briefed the delegation about functioning of Pakistan Railways and its ongoing projects with the cooperation of different international partners.

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to provide Rs6.18 billion for construction of an international airport in Gwadar, despite an earlier decision that the airport would be built by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) from its own resources.

The total cost of the project is Rs7.5 billion. The government of Oman will provide a grant of $17.5 million.

Under the earlier decision taken at the beginning of the last fiscal year the CAA was to build the airport on the pattern of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad.

The PC-1 of the project approved in July 2008 stated that CAA would use its own funds in addition to the Omani grant.

While an amount of Rs750 million was allocated in the development budget of the current fiscal for schemes forwarded by the defence ministry, the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved local financing of Rs6.18 billion for the airport.