Premier says only one province’s progress cannot be counted as country’s progress
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the participants at the Balochistan National Workshop in Islamabad. SCREEN GRAB
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that Pakistan continued to seek good relations with Afghanistan but urged the Afghan interim government not to allow its territory to be used for terrorism against Pakistan.
“We share a 2,000-kilometer border with Afghanistan. We are neighbors and must live together, but we continue to call on the Afghan interim government not to allow its soil to be used for terrorism against Pakistan,” he said.
Addressing participants at the Balochistan National Workshop in Islamabad, the prime minister also said that Balochistan’s vast geography and scattered population pose development challenges unlike those faced by other provinces, stressing that Pakistan could only prosper if all four provinces made progress together.
Welcoming participants from across the province, he said they represented not only Balochistan but Pakistan. “You all represent Pakistan here,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Balochistan had played an important role in the creation of Pakistan and recalled that the province’s political and tribal leadership had voluntarily joined the federation after independence.
“In 1947, the leadership of Balochistan accepted the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and became part of Pakistan. The loyal leadership of Balochistan put personal interests and egos aside and overwhelmingly supported the federation.”
Describing Balochistan as Pakistan’s largest province by area but its smallest by population, the prime minister acknowledged that its geography presented unique development challenges.
“The distances between the cities are large, the settlements are scattered and the problems are different from those faced by other provinces,” he said.
Chief Minister Shehbaz said that the federation had recognized these challenges through the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and added that Punjab had voluntarily supported a larger financial share to Balochistan.
“This was not a favor; it was an act of brotherhood. When a family has four members, they support each other,” he said, adding that Punjab had contributed about Rs 150 billion to Balochistan over the years and continued to do so.
Highlighting development initiatives, the prime minister said successive governments, including those led by Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), had extended funding to the province.
He said the federal government had contributed about Rs50 billion to a Rs75 billion project to convert about 27,000 agricultural tubewells to solar power, alleviating persistent electricity shortages affecting farmers.
Read: District Magistrate, security guard killed in gun attack in Balochistan’s Mastung
Prime Minister Shehbaz also referred to the Karachi-Chaman highway (N-25), often known as the “bloody road” because of its high accident rate.
“People lose their lives on this road almost every day,” he said.
The prime minister said the government had allocated savings from lower international oil prices last year to fund the project.
“We decided to build the Karachi-Chaman Expressway at a cost of around Rs 300 billion. When it is completed within two years, it will no longer be known as the ‘Bloody Road’ but as the ‘Road of Progress’.”
The Prime Minister said that no province could thrive in isolation.
“Pakistan will succeed only when all four provinces succeed. If only one province makes progress, it cannot be called Pakistan’s progress.”
On security, the Prime Minister expressed grief over Thursday’s attack in Mastung in which District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his security guard were killed.
“May Allah grant the martyred judge the highest place in Jannah,” he said, adding that sacrifices for Pakistan’s security had been made not only by civilians but also by members of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies.
He said more than 90,000 Pakistanis had lost their lives in the fight against terrorism, adding that India had been involved in supporting terrorist groups.
He noted that terrorism had largely been brought under control in 2016 and 2017, but questioned how it had re-emerged.
“We all need to reflect on how this conspiracy was allowed to take root again.”
Read more: Security forces kill 10 terrorists, arrest two female suicide bombers in Balochistan
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan had recently achieved significant successes, including Marka-e-Haqand had gained international respect for his diplomatic efforts.
“Our enemies cannot tolerate Pakistan’s success,” he said.
Concluding his address, Prime Minister Shehbaz urged Pakistanis to work together to transform opportunities into lasting development, adding that prosperity could only be achieved when all four provinces moved forward together.
President Zardari calls for faster development in Balochistan
President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday called for the acceleration of development in Balochistan, stressing that providing basic amenities to the province’s residents and promoting its overall development remained among the government’s top priorities.
The president made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation of Balochistan’s provincial ministers at Bilawal House in Karachi, according to a statement issued by the presidency.
The meeting reviewed the law and order situation in the province, progress on development projects and the overall situation of Balochistan.
President Zardari directed the relevant authorities to expedite the implementation of ongoing development projects in the province.
He also emphasized the need for all relevant institutions to work in a coordinated manner to improve law and order, promote public welfare and boost economic activity across Balochistan.
