Private firms urged to use Gwadar port

The government on Tuesday sought private sector support in routing their cargoes through Gwadar Port whose capacity utilisation has remained far short of its potential owing to insufficient marketing. At a meeting on the commercialisation of the port, the National Logistic Cell (NLC) contested criticism from the Planning Commission over its purported higher rates. The meeting, second in less than a week and presided over by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, had been called on the prime minister’s directives. The management of the NLC presented a report on the port tariff plan as called for in the Jan 8 meeting. It asserted that not only was the state-run freight operator entirely focused on transporting shipments to and from Gwadar port, but its rates were very reasonable compared with other ports in the region.