ISLAMABAD: Chinese Premier Li Qiang is expected to inaugurate the newly built Gwadar airport during his visit to Pakistan in the coming week, said Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday.
The start of operations at the $200-million Chinese-funded Gwadar International Airport has been put on hold for a security review after deadly attacks by militants in the area in the month of August.
Pakistan’s foreign affairs ministry on Sunday said that Li, along with ministers and government officials will be visiting Pakistan from Oct 14 to 17 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
Pakistan is hosting the SCO meeting which comprises nine full members, including China, India, Iran and Russia, and is scheduled for Oct 15 and 16 in Islamabad.
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The new airport n Gwadar could handle domestic and international flights, according to Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, and will be one of the country’s biggest airports in the country.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was expected to inaugurate the newly constructed airport on Aug 14 alongside Chinese officials, but the plan was cancelled due to a protest in Balochistan.
A decades-long insurgency in the southwestern Balochistan province by militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, security forces and Chinese interests in the region.
