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Trade begins under CPEC as Sharif opens Gwadar port

The revamped Gwadar port, a strategic deep seaport in the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, on Sunday became operational in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan after two cargo ships laden with containers set off for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE and EU.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the start of operational activities in this coastal town of Balochistan province, which saw an ISIS suicide bombing claim as many as 52 lives. Army chief Lieutenant General Raheel Sharif and a host of other dignitaries were present at the opening ceremony, with the Premier calling it a dream project come true.

“The operationalisation and opening of trade activities of the Gwadar port marks the first launch of a key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” Sharif said.

He said the port will not only serve as a major trading point for China, South Asia and Central Asia and offer opportunities to investors in these regions but also integrate them.

“Today ushers in a new era of economic progress and peace in Pakistan and in the region,” he said.

The USD 46 billion CPEC is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), sparking concerns from India.

In his address, Sharif called today’s development as a “watershed” moment in the history of Pakistan and the entire region. He called it a symbol of Pakistan’s commitment to China’s One Belt-One Road initiative, of which the CPEC is a key port.

“We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the CPEC and all the projects under its umbrella are materialised within the given time,” he said.

He made it clear that the CPEC was meant to bring prosperity and peace to Pakistan and no region or province would be left out.

Sharif also commented on the One Belt-One Road initiative by China and said that it integrates with Pakistan’s Vision 2025 which seeks to transform the country into a hub of trade and commerce.

Two convoys carrying cargo of rice, machinery, cotton reached Gwadar from China via the land route being established under the CPEC. The trade convoys departed from Kashgar, China, on October 29, entered Pakistan on October 30 and reached Gwadar on November 12.

Two ships Al Hussain Zanzibar and Cosco Wellington have been berthed at Gwadar.

They set off for ports in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the EU, according to the Frontier Works Organisation which is playing a key role in development of roads and land routes from China to Pakistan.

“This is the first time that a trade convoy successfully passed through the western part of Pakistan from the north to the south. It proves the connectivity of the local roads and the realisation of the concept of one corridor with multiple passages,” Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong said at the inauguration ceremony.  

The revamped Gwadar port, a strategic deep seaport in the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, today became operational in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan after two cargo ships laden with containers set off for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE and EU.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the start of operational activities in this coastal town of Balochistan province, which saw an ISIS suicide bombing claim as many as 52 lives. Army chief Lieutenant General Raheel Sharif and a host of other dignitaries were present at the opening ceremony, with the Premier calling it a dream project come true.

“The operationalisation and opening of trade activities of the Gwadar port marks the first launch of a key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” Sharif said.

He said the port will not only serve as a major trading point for China, South Asia and Central Asia and offer opportunities to investors in these regions but also integrate them.

“Today ushers in a new era of economic progress and peace in Pakistan and in the region,” he said.

The USD 46 billion CPEC is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), sparking concerns from India.

In his address, Sharif called today’s development as a “watershed” moment in the history of Pakistan and the entire region. He called it a symbol of Pakistan’s commitment to China’s One Belt-One Road initiative, of which the CPEC is a key port. 
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