Gwadar’s future shaped by 10-year development vision under smart port city plan

QUETTA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th May, 2026) The Balochistan government has taken a decisive step toward transforming Gwadar into a modern economic and coastal hub, as Provincial Minister for Planning and Development Mir Zahoor Buledi chaired a high-level meeting to review the Gwadar Development Authority’s proposed 10-year development program.

The session, organized in line with the Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, focused on ensuring sustainable, balanced, and people-oriented growth in the coastal city.

The meeting brought together MPA Gwadar Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, Additional Chief Secretary Development Zahid Saleem, GDA Director General Moin-ur-Rehman Khan, Chief Engineer Federal Projects Dr Sajjad Baloch, Chief Engineer GDA Haji Syed Muhammad, Director Town Planning Shahid Ali, Chairman Tehsil Municipal Committee Gwadar Majid Johar, and other senior officials.

Director General GDA Moin-ur-Rehman Khan presented a detailed briefing on the proposed program, which envisions major infrastructure upgrades, including expansion of roads, new water supply lines, a 20-million-gallon desalination plant, underground power cabling, solarization projects, and environmental initiatives such as tree plantation.

Recreational and tourism-oriented projects like Grab Beach Park, GDA Club, Foreigners Resort, and Coastal Beach Resort were also highlighted, alongside improvements in sewerage, drainage, fisheries, and revenue generation models. The plan further incorporates the Central Business District, Special Economic Zone, GDA Housing Scheme, and micro-level master planning, all designed to align with the Smart Port City Master Plan’s second phase (2025–2035).

Speaking at the meeting, Zahoor Buledi emphasized that local community needs, public consultation, and ground realities must remain central to development planning.

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He stressed that Gwadar’s growth should not be confined to large-scale infrastructure alone but must directly benefit ordinary citizens, youth, fishermen, and the business community.

He urged GDA to propose viable business models and revenue generation schemes that would ensure the authority’s financial independence and long-term sustainability. Buledi directed that the program be rationalized according to available resources and priorities before being presented to Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti for final approval and implementation.

MPA Gwadar Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman praised GDA’s completed schemes, including the restoration of Old Town, which has improved infrastructure and drainage. He noted that while conditions during recent rains were better than in the past, several areas, such as Gwadar city, Surbandar, and Pishkan, still require urgent attention to roads, sewerage, and drainage, which must be prioritized in the new program.

Chief Engineer Federal Projects, Dr Sajjad Baloch, called for special welfare projects for fishermen, assuring that the federal government would provide funds for such initiatives. He also proposed completing the Gwadar Northern Bypass through the National Highway Authority to ease traffic congestion and support future trade activities with a modern road network.

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to advancing Gwadar’s development in line with modern requirements, local needs, and community interests, with the vision of transforming the city into a sustainable, globally competitive economic and coastal hub for Pakistan and the wider region.