PM Shehbaz Commits to Equal Development Across Provinces

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed the federal government’s firm determination to equal development of all the provinces. Addressing the participants of the Balochistan National Workshop in Islamabad, he mentioned that additional funds have been provided for the development of the province. He said development requirements of Balochistan were also recognized in the NFC Award of 2010, and all the provinces, particularly Punjab, contributed to it.

According to Radio Pakistan, Punjab has so far contributed one hundred and fifty billion rupees in this regard. The Prime Minister assured that all possible measures would be taken for the development of the province. He highlighted the solarization of twenty-seven thousand agricultural tube-wells in Balochistan, mentioning that fifty billion rupees were provided by the federal government for this seventy-five billion rupees project.

He also addressed infrastructure projects, stating that the Karachi-Chaman expressway will be completed in the next one and a half to two years at a cost of three hundred billion rupees. The federal government, he said, will work in complete coordination with the provincial government to further create education opportunities for the youth in Balochistan, including the establishment of nine Daanish Schools.

The Prime Minister noted that three hundred and sixty-eight billion rupees have been allocated in the budget for water storage projects, assuring that work on the Kachhi Canal project would be expedited and suggesting it be renamed as Pakistan Canal.

Highlighting security concerns, the Prime Minister alluded to the sacrifices rendered by civilians and security personnel in the war on terrorism and expressed commitment to ridding the country of terrorism through collective efforts. He expressed regret over India’s alleged sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan and noted Pakistan’s urging of the Afghan interim government to restrain terrorist groups from operating within Pakistan’s borders. However, he remarked that the Afghan side has so far failed in this regard.

Shehbaz Sharif also commented on Pakistan’s improved international standing due to its role in promoting regional peace and stability, as well as its decisive actions against India in May last year. He expressed optimism about taking the country forward on the path of economic development.