PM said Pakistan was working on the construction of the N-25 highway from Karachi to Chaman.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Friday that hostile countries were behind terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while stressing that the people of Balochistan have the first right to the province’s natural resources.
Addressing a workshop on Balochistan in Islamabad, Sharif said Balochistan was among Pakistan’s richest provinces and that its people should be the primary beneficiaries of its resources.
He said taking someone’s life based on their identity card or ethnicity was unacceptable. Problems facing Balochistan should be resolved through dialogue, consultation and fair distribution of resources, he added.
“The purpose of dialogue is to listen to the Baloch people,” Sharif said, adding that those who take up arms in the name of resolving problems cannot represent Pakistan.
The prime minister said Pakistan was working with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on the construction of the N-25 highway from Karachi to Chaman, but workers involved in development projects were being targeted and killed.
He alleged that infiltrators were receiving resources from hostile countries, while security forces were making sacrifices to protect the country.
Sharif also highlighted development initiatives in Balochistan, saying the government was providing solar systems to farmers and working to improve electricity supplies. He said Punjab had contributed Rs11 billion for Balochistan.
The prime minister said Gwadar Port could accommodate ships carrying up to 100,000 metric tons of cargo and described the port as a gift from Pakistan’s close ally, China.
