PM Says He Is Mulling To Talk To Disgruntled Elements Of Balochistan

ISLAMABAD, Jul 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jul, 2021 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said he was mulling to talk to those few elements in Balochistan, who were either driven by their grudges or exploited by India in the past to spread anarchy in the country.

Addressing a gathering of elders here, the prime minister said he was considering to talk to those elements, who felt estranged or misused by other countries�India, in the past, to spread anarchy. But, now the situation was completely changed.

The prime minister, while regretting the past rulers' persistent negligence towards Balochistan, further assured that the Federal Government would enhance its contribution for the development of the province every year.

He decried that the past rulers had prioritized their political objectives, always putting the development and progress of the backward Balochistan province on the back burner.

"They did not pay attention to Balochistan and focused solely to become the prime minister of country. They preferred to live in London and spent time during summer season there," he said in an apparent reference to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Imran Khan said Nawaz Sharif as prime minister had 24 visits to the United Kingdom, out of which 23 were private trips, and did not bother to come to Balochsitan. Likewise, Asif Zardari as president had been to Dubai for 51 times.

He said the one, who thought of Pakistan, would always focus on its backward areas, including the Balochistan province.

On the contrary, he said, the previous ruling elite focused on winning elections and preferred to contest from Faisalabad and other multiple Constituencies, instead of coming to Balochistan. Due to their personal objectives, different areas like the merged tribal areas and Balochistan lagged in terms of progress and prosperity, he added.

"It was our great misfortune. If they had paid attention to the whole country, they might have continued as rulers," he observed.

The prime minister said the country could achieve progress when there was simultaneous and uniform progress, across the board. The residents of Balochistan province had a sense of deprivation due to continuous neglect, he added.

Moreover, neither the Center nor the political leadership of the province, in the past, paid due attention to the plight of people, leading to widespread sense of deprivation, he said.

The incumbent Federal Government, the prime minister said, had announced the biggest uplift package for Balochistan because injustice had been done with its people in the past, and it would increase its contribution towards the province with improvement in its financial resources.

He said the government was focusing on the uplift of Gwadar with a string of development projects, including setting up of desalination plant and construction of a 300-bed teaching hospital.

To fully protect the fishermen and improve their conditions, he said, Rs 10 billion was allocated under the Kamyab Jawan programme and out of which so far Rs 5 billion had been spent.

About the construction of low-cost housing units, the prime minister said the government had received a total of 4,000 applications from the area and had identified 200 acres of land over which initially 2,500 houses would be constructed.

Imran Khan further said that Ehsaas scholarships would be given to 4,698 young people of the province.

Additionally, he said, the Federal Government was committed to provide 3g and 4g internet connectivity throughout the province, which would create huge jobs opportunity for all, especially the womenfolk.

He said the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would bring the biggest benefits to the people of Balochistan and inhabitants of Gwadar.

The prime minister said there was complete ban on illegal fishing through big trawlers.