Balochistan still suffering in fire ignited by Musharraf: Abdul Malik Baloch

Balochistan CM says province hit hard by poverty, calls on EU and international community for support

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch claimed on Wednesday that over the past decade, people of the province have been suffering in the “fire” ignited by former president Pervez Musharraf.

"If you treat the people of Balochistan with love and respect, you they will give you everything they have, but if you subject them to contempt and disrespect, they can destroy everything they have to take revenge," he said.

Addressing a conference titled ‘Community Drive Development’, organised by the Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP) in collaboration with the European Union and Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN), the chief minister stated, “Balochistan was hit hard by poverty, which is a worldwide issue but its impacts are far more complicated and harder in Balochistan.”

"We are constantly struggling to decentralise powers to local bodies that would help reduce poverty,” he added.

He added, however, that the coalition government is striving hard to eradicate poverty with the limited resources at hand.

“Balocistan needs the support of the European Union and the international community to eradicate poverty," the chief minister elaborated.

Read: Balochistan's development is top priority: Nawaz

Further, he nominated MPA Rahila Durrani as the focal person to put forward proposals of NGOs and work toward their implementation.

Baloch went on to reject the notion that there has not been any development in the education sector.

"More than 5,000 jobs in education are being filled through National Testing Service (NTS), unlike the in the past when nepotism was encouraged and merit was violated," he noted.

“We have only Rs40 billion for development in Balochistan, which is insufficient,” he added.

The chief minister went on to say that to empower local bodies the coalition government increased their funds from 1% to 10%.