Prime Minister says the progress of a single province cannot be counted as the progress of the country
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses participants at the Balochistan National Workshop in Islamabad. SCREEN CAPTURE
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 have to live together, but we continue to urge 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 dispersed population posed different development challenges from those faced by other provinces, and emphasized that Pakistan could only prosper if the four provinces progressed together.
He welcomed the attendees from across the province and said they represented not only Balochistan but also Pakistan. “You all represent Pakistan here,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that Balochistan had played an important role in the creation of Pakistan, recalling that the political and tribal leaders of the province had voluntarily joined the federation after independence.
“In 1947, the leaders of Balochistan accepted the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and became part of Pakistan. The loyal leaders of Balochistan put aside their personal interests and egos and overwhelmingly supported the federation.”
Describing Balochistan as Pakistan’s largest province in area but smallest in population, the prime minister acknowledged that its geography presented unique development challenges.
“The distances between the cities are enormous, the settlements are dispersed and the problems are different from those faced by other provinces,” he said.
Chief Minister Shehbaz said the federation had recognized those challenges through the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, adding that Punjab had voluntarily supported greater financial participation for 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 around Rs 150 billion to Balochistan over the years and continued to do so.
Highlighting the development initiatives, the prime minister said successive governments, including those led by Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), had extended funding for the province.
He said the federal government had contributed around Rs 50 billion to a Rs 75 billion project to convert around 27,000 agricultural tubewells into solar energy, addressing persistent electricity shortages affecting farmers.
Read: District judge and security guard killed in gun attack in Mastung, Balochistan
Prime Minister Shehbaz also referred to the Karachi-Chaman Highway (N-25), often known as the “bloody highway” due to 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 low international oil prices last year to finance the project.
“We decided to build the Karachi-Chaman Expressway at a cost of around Rs 300 billion. When it is completed in two years, it will no longer be known as the ‘bloody road’ but as the ‘road of progress’.”
The prime minister said no province could prosper in isolation.
“Pakistan will only succeed when all four provinces succeed. If only one province progresses, that 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 and added that India had been involved in supporting terrorist groups.
He noted that terrorism had been largely controlled in 2016 and 2017, but questioned how it had re-emerged.
“We must all 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 Pakistan had recently achieved important successes, including Marka-e-Haqand had earned international respect for his diplomatic efforts.
“Our enemies cannot tolerate Pakistan’s success,” he said.
Concluding his speech, Prime Minister Shehbaz urged Pakistanis to work together to transform opportunities into lasting development, adding that prosperity can only be achieved when the four provinces move forward together.
President Zardari calls for faster development in Balochistan
President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday called for accelerating development in Balochistan and emphasized that providing basic services to the residents of the province and promoting its overall development remained one of the government’s top priorities.
The President made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of provincial ministers of Balochistan 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 of development projects and overall situation of Balochistan.
President Zardari directed 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.
