KARACHI, Jan 31: Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri has said that work will be initiated on the deep water container terminal from next month.

Addressing a press conference at the KPT head office on Saturday, the minister said in the first phase the terminal at Kemeari Groyne would have a draft of 16 metres along with the 600-metre long jetty.In the second phase the draft would be increased to 18 metres to accommodate mother ships. The project would be completed by 2013, he added. The minister said the government wanted to control the sliding economy and ensure employment for masses to face difficult economic situation.

He said the Gwadar Port had already been made operational for handling of government-owned cargo and currently two vessels were busy in unloading urea while 10 others had offloaded the commodity. All future wheat imports will also be handled at the Gwadar Port, the minister disclosed.

However, he said unless the rail and road links were not fully developed to connect the port with the hinterland, the private sector could play its role in transportation of urea and wheat from the port to other parts of the country since the government had been paying heavy subsidy.He said the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Pakistan Railways would be asked to avoid further delays and complete their assignments on fast track basis as roads linking the port with rest of the country was supposed to be completed in 2006.

The minister said that he met the Balochistan chief minister and removed his apprehensions about the ownership of the port. He said there was a legal cover for providing jobs to locals from grade 1 to grade 16 and therefore the port was equally important for Balochistan.

Talking about other projects, he said, Diamond City and Port Tower projects would also taken up and the land dispute for the former with the Sindh government had been resolved. Similarly, he said dispute over Boat Basin Park with the city government was also over and the CDGK had been allowed to develop it.

Replying to questions of newsmen, the minister said land for backup area of Gwadar port would be acquired from Pakistan Navy because there was an international commitment.