Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has stated that the federal government is committing to bringing Balochistan at par with other provinces in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Minister was addressing a “National Workshop on Balochistan” in Islamabad on Monday, wherein he and other notables spoke about “Pakistan’s Future Trajectory and Development Projects”.
According to a press release, the workshop was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor] Affairs Khalid Mansoor, Parliamentary Secretary Ms. Kanwal Shauzab, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan, Secretary Planning, Additional Secretary, and Advisor Maritime Affairs.
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 participants through the lens of Balochistan.
In his remarks, Asad Umar said the government was committed to providing maximum share in federal resources to Balochistan for its speedy development. He highlighted that special development packages had been announced for Southern Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and 14 priority districts of Sindh along with Karachi Transformation Plan.
The Minister said it was the Prime Minister’s vision that the state should give priority to the development of the most backward areas of the country. He underlined that the Southern Balochistan Development Package of Rs. 601 billion, which consisted of 199 projects, focused on providing employment opportunities, health and education facilities, and digital connectivity to the Balochistan region. He affirmed that digital Balochistan would significantly contribute to employment generation for the people of the region.
The SAPM on CPEC Affairs briefed the participants on projects being executed under CPEC. He underscored that substantial work was being done to uplift Balochistan.