Govt identifies site for market at Pakistan-Iran border

Decides to pay Rs1.5m per acre for acquiring land, says federal minister

QUETTA:

Federal Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal said the government has identified site for the market at Pak-Iran border for legally starting trade at the places adjacent to the border.

“The site for the market has been identified adjacent to the border corridors of Gabad, while the government has decided to pay Rs1.5 million per acre for acquiring the land,” she said, while talking to a delegation of regional dignitaries led by Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadees Makran Deputy General Secretary Hafiz Nasiruddin at Circuit House Turbat.

She said that with the establishment of the border market, people of the border areas would be provided trade facilities in a legal manner.

Jalal added measures would be taken to provide relief to the resident of the border areas including Zamran Jalgi border point abdu Chak Abmand and Kantani Dar Gwadar.

“I will discuss with the prime minister and Southern Command Balochistan the issues of people of border areas,” she said, adding the prime minister had approved the Southern Balochistan Package to alleviate the sense of deprivation of the people and provide basic infrastructure facilities to people affected by the insurgency during the last ten years.

Nasiruddin drew the attention of the federal minister regarding the closure of the border and said that due to lack of industry and employment opportunities in Makran division for centuries, the people of the area have been forced to import a limited amount of food, petrol and diesel from neighboring countries for agricultural purposes.

“The closure of the border has led to the alarming rise in unemployment and poverty in the area,” he said, lauding the efforts of the federal minister and Southern Command Balochistan Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali for the approval of legal border trade and efforts to establish the market.

He also lauded the decision took by the federal minister to hold open Kachehari.

Jalal assured the delegation that she would raise the issue with the prime minister and Southern Command Balochistan to provide relief to people of border areas on a limited scale for permission to bring diesel and essential food items.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2021.