Balochistan’s people must feel ownership of Pakistan, active stake in economic growth: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday urged the people of Balochistan to consider themselves active participants and beneficiaries in Pakistan’s economic growth, emphasizing the need to foster national unity, brotherhood, and mutual affection among all provinces.

Addressing participants of the National Workshop Balochistan in Islamabad, the prime minister said Allah Almighty had blessed Balochistan with immense natural resources worth trillions of dollars, but regretted that these resources still remained untapped.

He said it was time for self-reflection on why such abundant national wealth remained buried beneath “mudden mountains” despite decades of potential.

Shehbaz Sharif lauded the generosity and harmony of the Baloch people, who had long coexisted peacefully with Pashtuns, Punjabis, and other communities in the province.

Highlighting the province’s geographical challenges, he said Balochistan’s scattered population and inadequate road infrastructure hindered progress in education, industry, and connectivity.

He referred to the Karachi-Chaman highway, which locals call the “bloody road” because of frequent fatal accidents, and said the government aimed to dualize the road at a cost of Rs350 billion. He added that when petrol prices were reduced earlier this year, the government decided to divert up to Rs180 billion annually from the savings to finance the project and turn the dangerous road into a “peaceful avenue.”

“The people of Balochistan — Baloch, Pashtun, and all other communities — should not only own Pakistan but also feel active participants and beneficiaries in its economic trajectory,” the prime minister stressed.

He said that problems did exist but Pakistan was like a shared home to everyone. It was their onus to remove the differences and distances and move together on the path of progress and peace, with affection, unity and sacrifices.

The premier also noted that terrorism, which had been eliminated in 2018, had resurfaced, warranting serious introspection and coordinated national action.

He reiterated that his government’s ultimate objective was to promote provincial harmony, affection, and progress across the country, adding that his efforts had received support from all quarters, “from Peshawar to Karachi.”