THE civil and the military leaderships have once again expressed their unwavering resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism root and branch, adding all obstacles in the way of Balochistan’s progress and prosperity would be removed through collective efforts and vision. The determination was expressed at a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) held in Quetta on Thursday where the leadership expressed complete trust in the professional capabilities of the armed and civil forces to address the challenge effectively. The Prime Minister was confident that under the guidance of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and with full cooperation from the federal government and the leadership of Balochistan, the scourge of terrorism would be eradicated from the province.
The Prime Minister and the Army Chief have done well by not only visiting the province in the wake of the latest dastardly terrorist attacks but also holding an important huddle, participated by those in-charge of the security, law and order, administrative and economic aspects, to ponder over a combination of measures to thwart designs of the enemy. Balochistan is the largest province of the country but regrettably its people were deprived of the benefits of progress and development mainly because of the obstacles created by the vested interests in the way of the socio-economic progress of its people. These elements opposed all moves aimed at empowering the local population through networks of rail and road, which are vital for increased mobility; affording educational and health opportunities; providing electricity and gas; improving access of the people to IT and telecom services and creating economic opportunities in different areas to address the issues of unemployment and poverty.
There is a foreign sponsored lobby that not only tries to pollutes thinking of the people about developmental activities but also conspires against all programmes and projects launched to bring Balochistan at par with other parts of the country. This explains why the recent acts of terror, violence and sabotage were also directed against the projects and plans being executed under the umbrella of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The Prime Minister rightly pointed out that enemies of Pakistan want to hinder the progress of Balochistan and the CPEC but they will not succeed. His remarks are understandable as billions of dollars are being invested on a host of projects of far-reaching importance including an all-round development of the Gwadar Deep Seaport; its linkages with the rest of the country and the region; and exploitation of the mineral resources of the province for the overall benefit of its people. Therefore, the enemy cannot be allowed to succeed in its designs to either stall or slow down progress of these projects.
No doubt, people of Balochistan, like people in other provinces, are entitled to raise their voice for their rights and interests in case there are deficiencies in governance by the provincial or federal governments but those who target innocent people, personnel of law enforcing agencies, infrastructure, bridges, electricity and gas facilities and symbols of the State cannot be considered as well-wishers of people of Balochistan or the province. They are simply criminals and have to be created as such because it is the fundamental responsibility of the Government to protect life and property of the citizens. Isn’t it strange that people of Balochistan are welcome in other provinces including Punjab where Balochistan students are offered scholarships to pursue higher studies in different discipline but labourers from other provinces, especially from Punjab, are routinely attacked in Balochistan, which is nothing but an attempt to create a wedge between people of federating units. As against this, the Government is incentivizing civil servants for their posting in the rough terrains of the province and during his visit to Quetta, the Prime Minister also announced more incentives including additional three points for performance-based evaluation and air tickets for the families of the civil servants every three months in a bid to attract competent and talented officers for their posting in the province. The nation also endorses the policy of no dialogue with terrorists but readiness to sit with those who believe in the Constitution and flag of Pakistan.
