Balochistan promised ‘maximum share’

Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar on Monday said the government was committed to providing a maximum share in federal resources to Balochistan for its speedy development. According to a press release, he said the federal government would provide maximum resources to Balochistan for development and bring it on a par with other provinces in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Addressing the National Workshop on Balochistan, the minister spoke about “Pakistan’s Future Trajectory and Development Projects”. Umar added that it was the prime minister’s vision that the state should give priority to the development of the most backward areas of the country and therefore special development packages had been announced for Southern Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and 14 priority districts of Sindh along with the Karachi Transformation Plan.

Highlighting the Southern Balochistan Development Package, he said the total cost of the Package was Rs601 billion which consisted of 199 projects and focused on providing employment opportunities, health and education facilities apart from digital connectivity to the area.

The minister further said that digital Balochistan would significantly contribute to employment generation for the people of the region. Various segments of society including politicians and notables of Balochistan regardless of the social and political affiliations attended the workshop which aimed at enabling the exchange of perspectives amongst the participants through the lens of Balochistan.

SAPM on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor later briefed the participants on projects being executed under CPEC initiatives, saying that substantial work was being done for the uplift of Balochistan . The development of Balochistan would not only connect it with other provinces but would also pave the way for regional connectivity, he added.

The workshop was attended by SAPM on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor, Parliamentary Secretary Kanwal Shauzab, deputy chairman planning commission, secretary planning and advisor maritime affairs.