QUETTA-The Sultan of Oman has agreed to provide a grant of US dollars 45 million for a number of development projects in District Gwadar. Another grant of $20,000 has also been announced for the preservation and maintenance of Gwadar Fort, to serve as a museum. This was informed by the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman in Pakistan, Muhammad bin Said Muhammad al-Lawati during a meeting with the Chief Minister Balochistan, Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani, which took place in Islamabad the other day. They said that the grant had been announced by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said during his last visit to Gwadar. Under this grant a 50-bed hospital alongwith allied facilities such as residential quarters for doctors, nurses and paramedics, furniture, equipments, ambulances and staff vans etc.would be constructed at Pasni, the second biggest town in District Gwadar. Three projects include construction of blacktop roads from Nagore Sharif to Suntsar (54km), Chib Rikani to Coastal Highway (15km), Nallaint to Kappar (7.3km) and Tak Village (Ormara) to Coastal Highway (11.3km). A scheme for laying parallel pipelines from Swali Gwarm to Pasni town would also be part of the uplift plan for provision of drinking water to the people of the area while the Quetta Electricity Supply Company (QESCO) had been assigned the task for linking the Pishukan, a tiny settlement on the Mekran coast with the main grid supplying power from Iran to Gwadar and other parts of the district. Talking to the Ambassador, Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani expressed his gratitude to Sultan Qaboos over this generous assistance for the people of Gwadar. He said the people of Balochistan and especially the citizens of Gwadar had a very long history of cultural and brotherly ties and always shared joys and sorrows with each other. He also offered incentives to the investors from Oman for investment in the province, especially in Mekran Division in diverse sectors including agriculture, horticulture and fisheries. On the occasion, the Ambassador informed that the grant had been placed with the Omani Embassy, which was yet to be released once the Economic Affairs Division initiated the withdrawal applications. He also informed that another grant of US$20,000 had been earmarked for preservation and maintenance of Gwadar Fort, turning it into a cultural museum. The said fort had once been the residence of the Wali-e-Muscat. Raisani said the matter would be taken up with Economic Affairs Division and the Ministry of Culture for taking necessary action pertaining to both the grants announced by the Omani govt. It may be recalled that the modalities for the Omani grant had been agreed upon during the 6th session of a Joint Ministerial Commission held at Islamabad on March 2, 2010 in which the agreement had been signed by Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State Finance and Economic Affairs, Government of Pakistan and Muhammad bin Nasser al-Khasibi, Secretary General Ministry of National Economy, Sultanate of Oman.