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QUETTA / GWADAR: Gwadar will be made a weapon-free city and special measures will be taken for the security of Chinese investors, engineers and experts working on different projects in the port city.
This was decided at a meeting attended by security officials from both Pakistan and China in Gwadar on Friday.
The meeting was attended by Major General Azhar Naveed, provincial Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani, Brigadier Shahzad Iftikhar Bhatti, Brigadier Saqib, Director General of the Gwadar Development Authority Dr Sajjad Hussain, Deputy Director General of China’s Ministry of Public Security Q.U. Jainging and senior officials of China’s foreign ministry Ms Lili and Zhang Maoming.
Security of Gwadar and its surrounding areas has already been handed over to the Pakistan Army. Army troops have established checkposts at all entry points of Gwadar town.
Senior officials briefed Chinese officials about measures taken for ensuring security of the port city and its surrounding areas. They said that under the plan Gwadar would be made a weapon-free city where special arrangements would be made for the maintenance of peace.
The meeting was informed that special measures were being taken for the protection of Chinese nationals working on different projects in the city.
Development of the social sectors also came under discussion during the meeting and the participants gave various suggestions in this regard. It was decided that maximum facilities would be provided to local people and measures would be taken for improving their standard of living.
The meeting was informed that residence cards would be issued to local people of Gwadar and people coming to the city from other areas would have to register at entry points. Record of outsiders would be maintained.
Commissioner of Makran Division Bashir Ahmed Bangulzai, Deputy Commissioner of Gwadar Abdul Hameed Abro, Gwadar SSP Tariq Khilji and officials of the Gwadar Port Overseas Holding Company also attended the meeting.
Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2015
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Comments (47) Closed
Nov 01, 2015 08:04am
Will the ministers' people disarmed as well ????
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Nov 01, 2015 08:28am
If they really want to they can make all cities safe and weapon free. Its just matter of priorities.
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Nov 01, 2015 08:48am
We are Glad on this Decision.
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Nov 01, 2015 09:06am
Only Gawadar, why not weapon free Pakistan
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Nov 01, 2015 09:11am
Good to know that the consideration will also be given to uplift the standards and facilities for Gwadar city and its citizens. The priority in jobs should also be give to the citizens of Gwadar to raise their standard of living.
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Nov 01, 2015 09:16am
Why normal people need weapons. This rule should be implemented all over pakistan so that everyone live in peace.
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Nov 01, 2015 09:16am
Will it be?
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Nov 01, 2015 09:32am
very good decision. should be implemented across the board without discrimination.
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Nov 01, 2015 09:34am
Great decision - that means, police force must not have guns either. Only elite force/rangers may be allowed in special circumstances.
That should be implemented indiscriminately in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad and all other cities as well.
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Nov 01, 2015 10:00am
why pick and choose why arrangement of security made for Gwadar cannot be made to all major cities of pakistan
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Nov 01, 2015 10:23am
Why not all cities ? Even, Why now all cities in Sub continent. Its police's duty to provide safety. If people are given license for guns, then give same number of bangles to Police station of that area.
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Nov 01, 2015 10:29am
Why not all Pakistan? +it should be applied to all the political parties.
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Nov 01, 2015 11:08am
The whole Pakistan should be weapon free country. Haven't we seen enough of bloodshed
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Nov 01, 2015 11:29am
A good step why not make the whole Pakistan weapon free and are they going to implement it on politicians and there guards ,Best of Luck for that
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Nov 01, 2015 11:33am
Why not all cities ? Even, Why now all cities in Sub continent. Its police's duty to provide safety. If people are given license for guns, then give same number of bangles to Police station of that area.@Sudhanshu Swami
LOL good idea.......could work.....
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Nov 01, 2015 12:03pm
Why not make all the country weapon free atleast we can try. Why not.
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Nov 01, 2015 12:13pm
It was decided that maximum facilities would be provided to local people and measures would be taken for improving their standard of living. Why not this principle applies to Karachi toooo....where the city is not allowed to be managed by the communities that reside in it........?
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Nov 01, 2015 12:31pm
whole country should be made weapon free.
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Nov 01, 2015 12:59pm
well Chinese can really help Pakistan, hope they work in huge nos in all cities of Pakistan
so all the cities will be weapon free, that will be a huge huge achievement, and people would realy thank the gove
rgds from india
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Nov 01, 2015 01:12pm
Better make it Poverty Free City First. People are dying owing to lack of basic resources.i.e Water n Food. We should reshuffle our priorities and alleviate and rationalize the grievances of the local masses instead of creating security zones around.
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Nov 01, 2015 01:43pm
Never mind Gwadar. The whole of Pakistan needs de-weaponising on top priority basis. It is a clear and present danger to the continued health of the republic having armed civilians with disparate agendas and will to dominate the state. Clearly as Weber stated the monopoly on violence should belong to the state. This false machismo 'gun culture' is an absurdity and one its main promoters are the elites of Pakistan
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Nov 01, 2015 02:34pm
Good! I wish other areas of Pakistan which have security problem also do the same..
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Nov 01, 2015 02:36pm
@Baloch you can't fix things without any outside help for outside help you need to provide security. Same is the case with Gulf countries.
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Nov 01, 2015 02:39pm
All Pakistan should be arms free
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Nov 01, 2015 03:38pm
Biggest joke of this century. You are trying to fool your people again but you cant. One city or one particular area becoming arms free means nothing. It only means that those who have arms will shift their guns to other city and they can be called whenever needed.
You have to do this cleansing process in all Pakistan. If you remove cancer from one organ of the body, but let it stay in the other organ, that is equally fatal.
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Nov 01, 2015 05:00pm
Make an effort on all cities.
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Nov 01, 2015 05:07pm
Good; Make a beginning with Gawadar. Then, extend it to other cities; finally, if possible, yes, only if possible, extend the ban to the tribal and border areas of Pakistan as well.
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Nov 01, 2015 05:07pm
Gwadar to be made weapon-free city... Are you willing to bribe the Sardars...or else there is no way out...High time to eliminate the feudal society... or Pakistan would be eliminated....
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Nov 01, 2015 05:46pm
It's possible to make that area guns free only if they kick out RAW from there. RAW is spreading terrorism in Pakistan.
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Nov 01, 2015 05:55pm
Pakistan should be made free of illegal weapons.Guns are important tools that help stop crime.Also yh here are so man illegal guns in Pakistan that passing such measures is useless and counter productive.
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Nov 01, 2015 06:23pm
The first step to a weapon- free Pakistan. Best of Luck!
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Nov 01, 2015 06:35pm
We clearly value Chinese lives above all others.
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Nov 01, 2015 08:09pm
Yes, Sir! Your command shall be followed. Gwadar shall be made weapon free. (not weapons)
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Nov 01, 2015 08:28pm
sooner it will be weapon free as both political giants in sindh are near extinction.
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Nov 01, 2015 10:10pm
Many comments posted ask why not other cities. The answer is simple. Gawader is new upcoming city of significant importance that is yet small but growing fast which is against the interest of some other countries. If the security and safety of this small and manageable area is not controlled, it will be a lost opportunity. It is as simple as that. Yes adequate measures need be taken for other cities as well, big or small, new or old, at the same time. It may however, not be as easy as in case of Gawader.
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Nov 01, 2015 10:48pm
@Isra you mean to say it is the failure of the government and that is why it is not able to make other parts of the country weapon-free? Safety security and protection of lives and properties of the citizens is the prime responsibility of a State. If it fails in its primary duty and obligation then we would be justified in calling it a failed state. What do you think?
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Nov 01, 2015 10:48pm
Excellent initiative. If Gwadar has to compete with Dubai and Singapore then it has to have the same rules.
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Nov 01, 2015 11:00pm
We need this in Karachi also.
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Nov 02, 2015 12:28am
Start from Gwadar and continue it along the whole CPEC. It is the only recipe for success.
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Nov 02, 2015 01:12am
@Angry Pitbull If everyone had someone like Mirza or Khan on their team there would never be a reason for weapons. They are fair people who use their brains and fair judgement in most cases. They do not appear to be on any bizarre power trips. True gentlemen. Just saying.
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Nov 02, 2015 05:53am
Lets start with Gwadar and take it from there!
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Nov 02, 2015 06:01am
A nice step...
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Nov 02, 2015 06:04am
Step in the right direction ,let us be optimist,later gradually the LEAs may enlarge their ambit and one day the whole of Balochistan could be weapon free,then Sindh,Punjab & other provinces,this inshallah include the elimination of Sardar & feudal culture,and all ministers will only travel on Mehran Suzuki without guards,if they use larger cars then resign & go home,strict law & order,control on corruption,only than our country could become Asian Tiger,otherwise status quo will continue.
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Nov 02, 2015 06:30am
no one listens to CM balochistan
can't make pak weapon free now, it had to be started in 1996 for achievement in 2007 or round about
now its too late just to do wish list visions
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Nov 02, 2015 06:59pm
@khan we have to start somewhere....so why not start from a brand new city....plus this will act as a model if/when it is successful
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Nov 02, 2015 11:43pm
yup. It is good action. . Both the countries strong relationships. .
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Nov 03, 2015 07:27pm
Only law abiding citizens will be disarmed. Criminals will manage to smuggle-in weapons
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