Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said the government is focused on bringing a revolution of prosperity in Balochistan through projects of infrastructure and human development.
Addressing at the groundbreaking of three roads to be built by the National Highway Authority (NHA), the prime minister said Balochistan has been long neglected in the past and the government will take every step to minimize the suffering of the local people. Imran Khan said despite financial constraints, his government was committed to divert funds towards the development of Balochistan.
The prime minister mentioned that compared with the 1,100 kilometre roads constructed by previous governments in 15 years, his government completed 3,300 km roads in two-and-a-half years. He said the entire area along the western route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be developed.
Imran Khan said caring for humanity is the main driving force that placed the nation at high pedestal of morality. He regretted that had serious steps taken in past, the country would have undergone immense development. He termed ‘elite capture’ responsible for economic divisions in the society and stressed the need for a model of development for all, including rich and the poor.
Imran Khan said Balochistan suffered apathy of previous rulers who had the mindset to ignore the province. However, he said, his ideology is about making Pakistan rise by uplifting its weaker segments. He said China’s development and its strategy to bring people out of poverty was exemplary and added that Pakistan can learn from the same model.
He said after Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, the government is expanding the network of Rs 0.1 million health insurance per household in Punjab and Gilgit Baltistan, and said the same would be discussed with the coalition government of Balochistan. He said the project of direct subsidy to farmers on seeds and fertilizer under Kisan Card had been launched while 80 percent data of deserving families had been registered for Ehsaas socio-welfare programme.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said for the first time in the country’s history, the present government was giving top priority to the development of Balochistan. Owing to the previous regime’s policy of neglecting Balochistan, its people did not get their rights, but now a new era of development had started in the province, he added. The local youth were being provided job opportunities in the projects initiated in the province, he said.
The prime minister expressed these views during a meeting with political elders of Balochistan here during which matters relating to addressing the issue of gas and electricity in the province were discussed.
The prime minister said the coastal areas of Balochsitan offer immense potential in fisheries and asked the local youth to learn techniques to fully tap the opportunities for revenue generation. Addressing the ceremony of soft loan distribution among youth of Balochistan under Kamyab Jawan programme, the prime minister said the government would support the youth through proper training in fisheries and help them run their own businesses. He expressed satisfaction over the allocation of Rs 10 billion for the small business and skill development of the people of Balochistan. He proposed that learning of cage fishing technique as an aquaculture fish production system could prove beneficial for poor fishermen who were struggling to meet their ends.
He pointed that big cartels in fishery sectors were an impediment in removing poverty of fishermen. He said promotion of fisheries sector would help uplift the youth of Balochistan and would ultimately benefit Pakistan.