ISLAMABAD: Balochistan’s Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) Women Wing President Fehmida Jamali said that Balochistan is the least developed province of Pakistan as the province had even been deprived of basic infrastructure for a long time now.
She said that the 1200 kilometres long Mekran Coast remained unexplored while it could have been a gold mine for Pakistan and it could have earned billions of dollars a year for being a port of transit for the landlocked countries of Central Asia, including Afghanistan.
Jamali, while talking to newsmen on Thursday, said that more than 29 districts of the province are denied natural gas as the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had itself announced that it has been providing natural gas facility to only 14 villages of the province.
It is a matter of concern for the government that second and third biggest cities of Khuzdar and Turbat are denied the gas facilities for the past six decades. There is no plan in the knowledge of the people or the local media that when the major cities of Balochistan will get natural gas facilities, she said.
Jamali said that the people demanded that the gas pipeline should be extended from Quetta to Khuzdar and should cover the entire Central Balochistan which will be future hub of brisk economic activities in the whole region.
Jamali also criticised the government for non-provision of electricity and said that the available infrastructure of the transmission line can take a load of 600 MG to the maximum while Balochistan is being provided only 400 MG to this date imposing a massive load shedding in major parts of the province.
Fehmida Jamali also issued an advisory emphasising on the provincial government to spend budgetary provisions on economic-related projects, human resource development and laying the foundation for the future economic development of Balochistan.
While the increase in provincial revenue has since helped the province significantly spike its development investment from its own resources, it has not done much to stimulate economic growth.
She further said the investment scenario in Balochistan is now bright because of foreign investors’ interest in economic development of abundant resources in mineral, fisheries, agriculture and livestock sectors, and the province could develop into a major trading and business hub, as the potential of Balochistan is now widely understood.
Active and aggressive private sector development is important for Balochistan, particularly for accomplishing economic development in the province so the provincial government should take appropriate steps on a priority basis for the exploitation of natural resources.
Balochistan should take the opportunity and encourage the private sector, and should invite foreign investors in different sectors, she added.