The government is evaluating the feasibility of routing 60% of its public sector imports—such as wheat, fertilizer, and sugar—through Gwadar Port. This proposal was discussed in detail during a meeting chaired by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal on Tuesday. The meeting also included Maritime Affairs Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh and senior officials from various ministries.
The committee, tasked with recommending strategies to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reviewed the progress of ongoing plans and developed a roadmap to boost the use of Gwadar Port. The committee decided to meet monthly and provide quarterly updates to the cabinet, ensuring that progress towards Gwadar becoming a major trade hub is consistently reviewed.
A two-part approach was proposed by Jam Kamal to incorporate Gwadar into the national trade system, focusing on creating a favorable business environment. Additionally, the potential for routing public sector imports through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and expanding containerized trade through Gwadar was discussed.
The committee also highlighted the need to incentivize private sector trade through the port, with plans for a dedicated group to engage private companies. The possibility of using Gwadar for transshipment and transit to Afghanistan and Central Asia was explored, with the committee noting China’s interest in the port under the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative.
