They don't even mention that how are these grand projects funded and how would they benefit the poor people of Pakistan.Fine but these projects should have taken place after tackling the fundamental and basic problems encountered by the millions of Pakistan ie substandard education,unemployment,shortage of hospitals ,scarcity of clean drinking water,load shedding etc.Just imagine that they construct motor ways but the poor people living in remote areas cry for roads but there is no money there to spend.The crux of the matter is that, He said he pushed for the convoys to take these routes to show that the road infrastructure built during this time is fully capable of handling cargo consignments of this size. They are setting sail for ports in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the EU late on Sunday, according to information provided by the FWO.ДЄround Rs35 billion has been spent on road infrastructure for the CPEC projects in Balochistan alone since 2014, says the FWO chief. Two ships - Al Hussain Zanzibar and Cosco Wellington - are berthed at Gwadar to receive the cargoes. The containers carry cargoes ranging from rice and cotton, to Chinese machinery, some of which is destined for Gwadar for the ongoing development works here, and the rest going abroad. M8 was the road where the famous picture of the premier and the army chief riding together in a jeep was taken. в”Ђ Photo by Khurram HusainДЇrom Quetta, this convoy moved down the N85 highway that runs through Kalat and Panjgur to Hoshab where it intersects the M8 highway that runs through Turbat to link up with the Makran coastal highway just east of Gwadar. One convoy came from China, carrying almost 150 containers which were then shifted onto Pakistani trucks at the Sust border crossing south of Khunjerab in the Northern Areas.ДЄ view of the port. The convoys that joined up in Quetta took diverse routes. This is the largest collection of VIPs hosted by Gwadar since it witnessed the signing of the 2009 National Finance Commission Award.ДЄmid tight security and a stream of arriving VIPs, the first consignment of cargoes from China to depart from the Pakistani port arrived at Gwadar on Saturday.ДЄll day long, a stream of trucks of different sizes lined up outside the port to be individually scanned before being ushered in. Top civil and military leadership, including Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai and Balochistan CM Nawab Sanaullah Zehri attended the event.Д®xecutives from Sino Trans, a Chinese logistics company, also attended the ceremony as well as ministers for defence and planning and a number of politicians, especially from Balochistan. PM Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif at opening ceremony. Zehri's claims come a day after a brutal attack on a shrine in Balochistan's Khuzdar area claimed at least 52 lives and injured over 100 other people. 'This is also the first time that Pakistan and China co-organised a trade convoy through Pakistan to Gwadar port.'Д«alochistan Chief Minister (CM) Nawab Sanaullah Zehri addressing the ceremony said, 'Due to the government's hectic efforts, the active participation of our security forces and all-out cooperation fo the people of Balochistan, we have succeeded in curbing anti-state elements, and the law and order situation has improved.'

It proves the port has restored it designed handling capacity,' he said. 'This is the first time that the Gwadar port is exporting containers to overseas destinations. It proves the connectivity of the local roads and the realisation of the concept of one corridor with multiple passages.'

PM Nawaz termed the arrival of the convoy 'a watershed event'.Д¬hinese vessels were ready at Gwadar Port for shipment of Chinese goods to Middle East and African countries, Radio Pakistan reported.Д¬hinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong told the ceremony today: 'This the first time that a trade convoy successfully passed through the western part of Pakistan from the north to the south.

The trade convoy departed from Kashgar, China, on Oct 29, entered Pakistan on Oct 30 and reached Gwadar on Nov 12. Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Asim Bajwa earlier tweeted that the first mega trade convoy of containers had arrived from China and will be loaded onto ships.

Dawn of a new era