QUETTA, Aug 19 (APP): Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Saturday said that consequent to incumbent government’s efforts,
Balochistan would emerge as the richest province of country,
since law and order situation had improved there, reviving
development and economic activities.
Talking to the newsmen after chairing meetings with the
provincial leadership on the law and order situation as well
as the development projects, he said they had discussed the
ways to further eliminate the threat of terror from the province
besides ensuring the execution of development projects, committed
by both the federal and provincial governments.
During his day-long visit, the prime minister met with
Chief Minister Sanaullah Zahri, Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai
and the parliamentarians of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
During the meeting, he said, in pursuance of the former
prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s announcement, it has been decided
that gas supply would be expanded to every district headquarters
within this year which would cost Rs 15 billion.
He said work on the longstanding project of solarizing
the tube-wells would be initiated this year that would be
accomplished in three phases.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said for water storage,
all relevant schemes would be discussed with Ministry of
Water Resources to ensure provision fo water storage facility
to the province.
He told the newsmen that Kachi Canal Project would start
functioning within a week or 10 days to irrigate around 70,000
acres of land in Balochistan.
He said during the meeting, they also discussed the
projects to be executed under China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The prime minister announced that the federal government’s
social welfare schemes of health cards as well as Benazir Income
Support Program would be expanded across the province.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the people of
Pakistan would give their verdict in the next election and
the present government was only focused at serving the masses.
To a question, he opined that former President Asif
Zardari should become part of the grand dialogue on democracy.
In response to another query, the prime minister
clarified that the government did not show any provincial
bias while filling three seats in the Council of Common
Interests.
He explained that three ex-officio seats of minister of
inter-provincial coordination, finance minister and industries
minister were fulfilled among those the first belonged to
South Punjab, second from Central Punjab and third from
Sindh.
He reiterated that earlier, the provinces used to
get Rs 1200 billion for development that had now been
increased to Rs 1900 billion.
The prime minister told media that after improvement
of law and order situation, gas exploration activity had
revived in the province.
Abbasi said the PML-N never did not believe in
confrontation with any institution and added that the
people would be the better judge in next election.
