Siraj says govt should work on Balochistan development

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq has warned that the enemies of Pakistan could take further advantage of the precarious situation of Balochistan if the federal and provincial governments displayed lack of seriousness to address the deprivations of Baloch people.

Sirajul Haq, who returned to Mansoora on Wednesday after completing his two-day visit to different areas of Balochistan, said this while talking to the media. He said the developments projects announced during the different tenures remained limited to the papers, presenting a gloomy state of affairs in large parts of the country's biggest province.

He said the people of the province were deceived in the name of development funds whether it was PPP’s “Aagaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package” or the recent government’s Rs600 bn package for the development of nine southern districts of the province.

He said a system based on the brilliant principles of Islam could put the country on track. He appealed to the people not to provide shoulders to those who were already tested and gave nothing to the country. He said thousands of youth of Balochistan were becoming desperate due to issue of joblessness. He said the government should establish industry and introduce technology in the area, adding the agriculture of the province had great potential for improvement. He said there was a dire need that the masses receive benefits of natural resources and they were provided facilities of electricity, gas and clean drinking water. He said feudal lords and civil and military governments intentionally kept the people deprived of the facilities.

He said the people of Balochistan like other parts of the country were fed up with the ruling elite. He said a large number of local leaders and youth joined the ranks of the JI during his visit to Quetta and other areas and it showed that the message of the JI was getting popular in all parts of the country. He said a system based on the brilliant principles of Islam could put the country on track. He appealed to the people not to provide shoulders to those who were already tested and gave nothing to the country.