Balochistan faced ‘criminal negligence’: PM

GWADAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that the development of Balochistan, on par with other provinces, was inevitable. The province faced a criminal negligence during the last five years.

The prime minister, who was on a visit to the area, inaugurated multiple development projects which were conceived during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure and were put to the backburner during the last five years.

He told the newsmen that he had inaugurated a clean drinking water project, launched by Nawaz Sharif in 2015 but faced an unnecessary delay since then. Similarly, the dredging of Gwadar Port was planned in 2015 but could not be completed despite the fact it had reduced the port’s depth and impacted the movement of ships. However, the incumbent government executed the project on a war-footing basis that would be completed by early 2024.

The prime minister said during the last five years, cargo weighing 100,000 tons could be brought to the Gwadar Port compared to 600,000 tons during the last 14 months of the current government, which benefited the locals, including labourers, transporters, cold storage owners and others.

He said not only Pakistan but other countries in the region will also benefit from the development of Gwadar Port. The projects like Gwadar Export Zones also faced neglect in the past and an impression was created that Baloch locals were being neglected in the process, which was not true and accurate in any way.

The prime minister told the newsmen that his government had completed a project of 100 MW power transmission line from Iran to ease the lives of locals. Similarly, a Panjgur-Khuzdar transmission line has also been completed. He said all of the said projects were conceived during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure and funds were also allocated but “criminal negligence” was shown by the previous government.

Similarly, he said, laptops were distributed among the top-performing students of public universities, which the previous government failed to do so, despite it being a tool for progress in the modern era. He said the incumbent government allocated billions of rupees for the laptop scheme.

Instead of six percent allocated share of the laptop scheme for Balochistan, the federal government gave away the machines at a ratio of 14 percent, and the quota had further been increased to 18 percent for fiscal 2023-24.

Shehbaz said the federal cabinet had green-signalled a 300 MW coal power project for Gwadar and Nepra had also approved the tariff.

The prime minister thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for a rollover of a $2.4 billion loan for two years by EXIM Bank and overall support in the form of China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Separately, addressing the inauguration ceremony of multiple development projects in Gwadar, the prime minister said that concerted efforts and true implementation of the vision of SIFC (Special Investment Facilitation Council) would usher in a revolution and guarantee prosperity of 220 million people of Pakistan.

“The SIFC is the biggest motivating engine and vision for Pakistan’s progress and prosperity. Nothing can impede our progress, if we follow this vision.

This will bring in a revolution,” he said.

The prime minister unveiled the plaques to inaugurate the Khuzdar-Panjgur transmission line, construction of two-lane Khuzdar-Basima road, water supply and distribution scheme, 1.2 MGD RO Desalination Plant and initiation of Gwadar Port dredging. He broke ground for the rehabilitation and upgradation of Awaran-Naal and Awaran-Jhal Jaho roads, Khuzdar section of M8, Gwadar Safe City project, and establishment of the University of Gwadar. He also unveiled the plaque marking the completion of airside infrastructure (runway, taxiway and apron) at the new Gwadar International Airport.

Lauding the vision and efforts of Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, also present at the ceremony, for the establishment of SIFC, the premier said a mechanism had been established to attract investment and put the country on the course of progress.

He expressed the hope that the interim government would also carry forward the initiative which was also appreciated by the business community of Karachi during his visit to Sindh on Wednesday.

Besides, the Gulf countries are also eyeing to invest in Pakistan following the economic revival plan formulated by the government, in coordination with all stakeholders, he said mentioning an article written by a former Saudi ambassador in Pakistan in an Arab publication.

Referring to his first visit on June 3, 2022 to Balochistan, after assuming office, the prime minister shared his dismay over the condition of Balochistan’s development owing to the negligence on part of the previous government, which he said merely focused on mud-slinging of the opposition leaders. He said the previous government failed to execute crucial projects like clean drinking water despite fund’s allocation in 2015 by Nawaz Sharif’s government.

Similarly, the unnecessary delay in the completion of 26-kilometer power transmission line from Iran forced the people to live without electricity.

A project to protect the Gwadar Port from flood also met the same fate.

After 2015, no dredging of Gwadar Port was done impacting the movement of big ships, but the incumbent government took up the project and would complete it by March next year.

He said the Balochistan province, rich with immense beauty and resources, could have attained its due progress had it been provided sufficient resources and attention.

But the “negative and sick mentality” marred the situation, he remarked.

It was high time all the institutions and stakeholders joined hands and move forward to make up the deficit of development.

The prime minister told the gathering that the government had started the distribution of cash assistance of Rs250,000 each among 3,000 fishermen to help them improve their lives as well as their work.

Referring to the attacks on Chinese workers, Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the people of Balochistan must know that the development of their province would suffer if some of the people, at the behest of foreign handlers, continued to target their benefactors.

He said the promotion of solar energy could guarantee the development of Balochistan’s industry and people as transmission lines across the country’s biggest province would cost billions of rupees.

Meanwhile, addressing laptop and cheques’ distribution ceremony, the prime minister said Balochistan was rich in huge minerals and other natural resources, which needed to be explored and fruits of the development of the area would be passed on to the local people.

The local people must enjoy all the basic facilities in all sectors, including health and education.

He said default risk for Pakistan had been averted due to support from the brotherly countries like China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He also directed the relevant authorities to put the security of foreigners on top priority.

Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Governor Balochistan, provincial ministers and top government officials were also present on the occasion. Later, Shehbaz reached Lahore and was brought to his residence in Model Town under tight security. He is likely to stay in Lahore for the next 3 days.