So the traitor altaf hussain used to talk about ‘praavincul aaaaataaanomy’, and is now using his commando fat babur ‘missile’ ghauri to deny the province of Baluchistan their administrative right over the port.
ISLAMABAD - Ruling coalition partners, the PPP and the MQM, are at loggerheads about the status of country’s deep sea Gwadar Port, TheNation has reliably learnt on Thursday. According to the informed sources, a tug-of-war has started between the Federal Minister for Ports & Shipping Senator Babar Khan Ghouri of MQM and Minister of State for Ports & Shipping Sardar Nabeel Ahmed Gabol of PPP about the administrative control of Gwadar Port.
Sources said that Gabol had launched efforts seeking to give Gwadar Port’s administrative control to Balochistan province, while Ghouri had opposed the move on the pretext that ports and shipping was a federal subject and so there was no need to hand over Gwadar Port’s administrative control to the province.
Sources privy to these developments told that Gabol had already talked to President Asif Zardari about his proposal as part of PPP’s strategy to appease Balochistan’s nationalists who were against Gwadar Port Project. Sources further told that other PPP legislators from Balochistan were backing Gabol’s efforts.
Whereas Ghouri, sources revealed, was not inclined to give his nod to Gabol’s proposal, as the move would have direct bearing on the long-term concession given to the Singapore Port Authority by the previous regime regarding the management and operating of the port. Gwadar Port with existing three berths is operational and a number of ships are calling at the port to load/offload tradable goods.
The sources also hinted that the PPP lobby was trying to persuade government to cancel the concession awarded to the Singapore Port Authority that planned to invest more than five hundred million dollars soon as per the concession award.
Gwadar Port was launched in 2002 with the help of China which had provided major chuck of funds to Pakistan to complete the first phase, while the harbour awaits government’s nod on the multi million dollars second development phase that envisages development of nine more berths.
Karachi port is administered by KPT (Karachi Port Trust), which is a Pakistan federal government agency. Since Gwadar is just another port, so Mr. Ghouri is right. Sorry to disappoint you there.
Karachi port is administered by KPT (Karachi Port Trust), which is a Pakistan federal government agency. Since Gwadar is just another port, so Mr. Ghouri is right. Sorry to disappoint you there.
But then that goes against the provincial autonomy that MQM demands, no? Instead Babar should've demanded that KPT be given to Sindh (if it is a Federal agency now).
Do you really think they'll let go of a cash cow like the karachi ports without a massacre or two?
If MQM is pro-Provincial autonomy and thinks getting KPT will only be successful after a massacre or two then why not help the cause and let Gwadar be part of Baluchistan to support its own ambitions? Either MQM doesn't believe in provincial autonomy or it believes that any possible institution be under its control regardless of what province it is in.
What is the issue, Babur Ghauri or handling of Gawadar by federal agency? Don't open a Pandora box. If Balouchi's cry about 60% balouchi's in Lahore tomorrow.. what you gonna do. Enough with their rasm-o-rawaj, and crying.. and tribal customs all the time. Its a sick province which have to be cured by some thing really good for once and all !
If so-called Balouchi's don't feel comfortable with Pakistan, then they better have a look at their kind in Afghanistan & Iran.
Don't be naive, read the post again and come back.
just goes to show political parties in pakistan dont operate on principles.
PPP is right in this instance. However one can imagine an exact flip of positions were it a matter of something pertaining to Karachi and PPP was representing the centre. Were PPP really serious about provincial autonomy they would push in legislation to make systemic changes, that increase provincial autonomy constitutionally. even MQM and ANP would have no choice but to vote for it, because on their little pet projects they advocate provincial autonomy, but not when it comes to someone else's province.