At WEF: CM Kamal invites foreign firms to invest in Balochistan

Offers Gwadar Port, gas, mineral and tourism sectors as lucrative areas for investment

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has said the mineral-rich province has huge investment opportunities while foreign investors can benefit by investing in Gwadar’s deep sea port, gas, mineral and tourism sectors.

“Following the importance of Gwadar sea port in the Central Asian market, Saudi Arabia pledged $10 billion investment in Gwadar which indicates that Balochistan has been emerging as an economic hub of the entire region,” said CM Kamal while addressing the World Economic Forum being held in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday.

The chief minister was accompanied by Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa, Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar and Defence Affairs expert Ikram Sehgal.

Kamal, who has been attending the ceremony in Switzerland, apprised the world’s richest community of business opportunities in Balochistan.

Inviting foreign companies to invest in Balochistan, Kamal said, “Pakistan has been producing 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas while Balochistan has 28 million cubic feet natural gas reservoirs which can be available through investment in the natural gas sector.”

Jam Kamal pledged provision of full security to interested foreign companies.

“The provincial government has established a free trade zone in Gwadar keeping in view the interests of international companies,” said Kamal, adding that the provincial government was answerable to the people of Balochistan; therefore, they had opened the doors to all private companies.

“The government of Balochistan is ready to lend all facilities to the companies willing to invest in the tourism sector on the coastal strip,” he said.

On the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Kamal said, “Huge investment opportunities have been heading towards Balochistan under CPEC. Fortunately other countries have also expressed their interest of joining Pakistan and China’s joint trade venture.”