Gwadar Port Representation Questioned as GPA Act Amendment Remains Under Process
Islamabad: The federal government claimed that Balochistan has “almost 50 percent” representation on the Gwadar Port Authority Board and that the Council of Common Interests decision on provincial representation has been implemented in letter and spirit. However, the official reply raised fresh questions about why the Gwadar Port Authority Act still requires amendment more than a decade after the decision. The disclosure came during a Senate question answer session, where Balochistan’s role in the governance of Gwadar Port was questioned.Senator Jan Muhammad raised the matter, asking whether the Council of Common Interests had decided to amend the Gwadar Port Authority Act to provide 50 percent representation to the Government of Balochistan on the GPA Board and to appoint the board chairman from among the nominees of the Chief Minister of Balochistan.In response, Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar confirmed that the Council of Common Interests discussed the issue and resolved it through consensus to address the reservations and demands of the Government of Balochistan. He stated that a revised GPA Act was under process at that time. Under the proposed revision, Balochistan was to receive 50 percent membership, and the GPA chairman was to be the nominee of the Chief Minister of Balochistan.The government claimed that the decision had been implemented in letter and spirit. According to the reply, Balochistan has almost 50 percent representation on the GPA Board, and the chairman of the GPA Board has remained a representative of the Government of Balochistan or the Chief Minister of Balochistan. The existing chairman of GPA and the GPA Board is also from Balochistan.The reply also listed representatives from Balochistan currently linked with the board, including the Director General of the Balochistan Coastal Development Authority, the Additional Chief Secretary Development of the Government of Balochistan, the President of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the President of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.However, the controversy remains because the government also admitted that the Draft Gwadar Port Authority Amendment Act is still under consideration in the National Assembly Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs. The proposed law is intended to align the GPA framework with the State Owned Enterprises Act, raising questions over whether administrative representation alone is enough without a fully amended legal structure.Under the proposed amended law, the chairperson of the GPA Board would be a Balochistan domicile holder. The federal government would appoint the chairperson, as an independent director, along with six other independent directors. The ministry stated that Balochistan’s representation was duly considered while appointing these directors.The issue carries political and economic importance because Gwadar Port is one of Pakistan’s most strategic assets and a key part of national and regional connectivity. For Balochistan, meaningful representation in the port’s governance has long been linked with provincial rights, local ownership, resource control and trust in federal decision making.The written reply was submitted by Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar in response to Senator Jan Muhammad’s question during the Senate question-answer session.
Read in Urdu: گوادر پورٹ میں بلوچستان کی نمائندگی پر سوالات، جی پی اے ایکٹ ترمیم تاحال زیر التوا
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