Quetta:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said he is willing to sit across the table with “those who have been misled … that have been led” in Balochistan when he promised to deliver “social and financial justice” to the population of the province, which has been trapped in a spiral of deadly violence since 2006.
“We have to strive to win the people who were misled [by terrorists] on the wrong track. If there are any complaints, they must be resolved through dialogue in the spirit of fraternity, ”he said, referring to chronic concerns in the dirt-poor province that has been exploited by Baloch terrorist groups to promote their violent narrative.
The prime minister approached a Grand Jirga in Quetta on Saturday, who gathered the oldest, legislators and key stakeholders for consultations that focused on security and development.
Field Marshal Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir, Balochistan’s acting Governor Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, chief minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and senior military and civilian officials were also present.
The Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the warm welcome he received, describing Balochistan as “a beautiful province of brave people and the heart of Pakistan”.
Terrorist has increased in recent months that civil and military officials have attributed to Indian interference. “The bloodthirsty terrorists who are against the progress and prosperity of Pakistan perform cruel terrorist acts at the request of foreign elements,” the prime minister said, referring to India.
“They need to be stopped. We should all defeat their dishonest design. If there are deficiencies in our answers, they could be addressed with your guidance,” he told the Jirga participants.
He reiterated that “all provinces are like brothers and will also share the country’s resources”, adding that the federal government allocated RS70 billion to a solarization project in Balochistan.
Similarly, the RS150 billion will be aimed at the construction of the N-25 Highway, often called the “bloody highway” due to its dangerous condition. The funds will be deducted from the amount stored after the fall in international oil prices.
The Prime Minister also announced that RS1,000 billion will be awarded the public sector development program (PSDP) this year with 25 percent – or RS250 billion – earmarked for Balochistan.
He assured that each ear in the proportion of which he called “the right to the population of Balochistan” would be used transparent to the province’s progress and prosperity.
The Prime Minister also remembered that Punjab had agreed to provide part of his share from the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for Balochistan considering his development needs as the province is the largest in terms of area.
“In today’s value, the funds that have been redirected to Balochistan amount to RS160 billion,” he explained.
The NFC award was signed in Lahore in 2010 after three days of discussions among national leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari, then Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif, he added.
He said that during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure as prime minister, many development projects were carried out in Balochistan, and President Zardari had initiated the Aghaz-E-Haqooq-E-Balochistan package.
When he talked about the recent conflict with India, Premier Shehbaz said that at night between May 6 and 7 and May 10, India attacked Pakistan, but with the grace of Allah, the armed forces defeated the enemy that will remember his defeat forever. He thanked the people of Pakistan for showing unity and standing shoulder to the shoulder with the Pakistani army during the conflict.
“As a prime minister, I witnessed all the events of the short -term war,” he said, adding that “as a brave and sagakious leader, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir led Pakistan armed forces to a victory against India and made the nation proud.”
He said the triumph over India was akin to avenging the events in 1971. “Now the enemy is scared, and Pakistan’s friendly countries are more confident after Pakistan’s military victory over India,” he claimed.
