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ISLAMABAD:
The government on Friday informed the Senate that the new Gwadar International Airport, operational since January 20, 2025, along with the Gwadar Free Zone and improved highway connectivity is expected to facilitate the access of Balochistan’s agriculture, mineral and fisheries sectors to national and international markets.
Responding during Question Time on behalf of Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry that the airport and associated infrastructure were part of a wider effort to strengthen trade logistics and economic activity in the province. He told the House that a fully developed Gwadar Free Zone, spread over approximately 2,281 acres at Gwadar Port, is operational and designed to support trade, re-export, warehousing, distribution and industrial activities.
The minister said investors in the free zone are being offered incentives including a 23-year tax holiday on federal, provincial and local taxes, leasing options of up to 99 years and exemption from import duties and VAT on machinery and equipment.
