Chinese partners receive historical reception at Sost Dry Port

Photo credits: Zulfiqar, Abdul Hameed, Ali Nazar, Mir Baz

Hunza, May 01: The new cabinet, shareholders and local community offered a very warm reception to the Chinese management at Khunjerab pass and Sost Dry Port. A large number of people from across Hunza had gathered at the Sost port to show solidarity with the new cabinet and welcome the Chinese partners to officially open the port for trade. The new cabinet presented local cultural gifts to the esteemed guests. There was jubilation everywhere as people danced to the tone of music, sending messaged embedded with the essence of peace, tranquility and traditional compassion to all corners of the world.

The local leaders in their speeches highlighted the history and sacrifices of local community in establishing the region’s only dry port. They condemned the misinformation propagated by vested interest groups through local and national media against the peace loving local community, be calling them to be miscreants and ill-wishers of Sino – Pak friendship. They reaffirmed their commitments to work together to enable the local community in availing the strategic opportunities presented by geographic attributes of the region. The representatives of Chinese management team thanked the local community for the historical reception.

Later on the Chinese management visited different offices and warehouses in presence of local administration and media to check the seals on doors.

It was decided that an ad-hoc committee comprised of 5 directors will look after the port affairs till any further decision is made as a result of the May 5 meeting called by KANA division in Islamabad.

The Chief Excutive NAs. Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan had been working as Chairman of the trust since its establishment. He was facing a great resistance from majority of shareholders and landowners for not streamlining their shares in company. The local community has donated 201 kanal of land as well as huge amounts were also received from local Village and Women Organizations during initial phases of the project. Apparently set procedures were not following while obtaining these shares and, thus, the poor local people were deprived of their valuable capital. Later on the local shareholders were totally sidelined from the port affairs.

Efforts were made from different parties to peacefully resolve the issue however the vested interest group always used their political influences to continue its control by violating trust bye-laws. For this reason 2/3 of the shareholders called the Annual General Meeting and elected new cabinet to take over the port. The new cabinet took over the port on April 24 with the help of local community. Since then the vested interest groups are propagating misinformation against the new cabinet and local community by calling them ill-wishers and miscreants.

Pamir Times

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Pamir Times is the pioneering community news and views portal of Gilgit – Baltistan, Kohistan, Chitral and the surrounding mountain areas. It is a voluntary, not-for-profit, non-partisan and independent venture initiated by the youth.

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