Resolving Balochistan issue not simple: PM

Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said that the situation in Balochistan was far from being simple because of internal and external linkages.
“There is not one but in fact many fronts on which the government needs to fight for the cause of the people of Balochistan,” said Ashraf while addressing participants of the workshop on Balochistan’s situation “Perception and Realities – the Way Forward” at the National Defence University in Islamabad on Tuesday.
He said the turbulence in Balochistan, though foreign abetted, is an internal issue for the state and people of Pakistan to resolve.
The prime minister said all our friends interested to bring about peace in this region were expected to respect the sovereignty of Pakistan and the aspirations of more than 95 percent people of Balochistan, who were as patriotic Pakistanis as people in any other part of the country. The state and people of Pakistan were capable of solving their problems and they would assert their sovereign right and independence in dealing with their domestic problems, he added.
Ashraf said that they did recognise the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan and the need for rapid development of this province. However, the situation of Balochistan should be seen in its true perspective dispassionately and in a cool-headed manner.
The PM said the people of Balochistan, particularly the poor, have not tasted the fruits of independence and development as yet. The real issue of Balochistan was the socio-economic deprivation of the common people. The benefits of whatever developmental programmes and projects were undertaken in the past in Balochistan, did not trickle down to the common people. Another aspect is the menace of sectarianism and religious extremism that the people of Pakistan in general and the people of Balochistan in particular were a victim of. He said our universities, think tanks, intellectuals and media had to play a constructive role to promote tolerance and harmony in the society. He said sectarian killings, must be seen in the context of geo-strategic linkages to the Balochistan issue. Under the garb of sectarian cover, non-state actors and foreign-sponsored groups were fueling the fire that warranted vigilance at various tiers both at the governmental as well as at the societal levels.

The PM said the democratic government had taken concrete steps to take the people of Balochistan on board. The President of Pakistan had offered a public apology to the people of Balochistan for the wrongs done to them and had vowed to usher in a new dawn of prosperity in the province.
He said that they had practically demonstrated their willingness through NFC Award, Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Initiative and the 18th Constitutional Amendment to redress the wrongs done earlier to the people of Balochistan in particular and other provinces in general. As a consequence, besides a huge economic package, a large number of Baloch youth had been recruited both in military and civil sectors.
Ashraf appreciated the role of Pakistan army and Frontier Corps in promoting and protecting national interests in Balochistan.
He said the progress made in communication infrastructure over the past one decade including the construction of Gwadar Port was praiseworthy. But it was just one leap forward; it did not mean that everything had been put right. There was a need to focus on social sectors including education and healthcare in which this province lagged behind because of vastness of the area and lack of resources vis-à-vis demand. He said that Balochistan topped the agenda of the present government and that they would do everything possible to eliminate the sense of deprivation among our Baloch brothers and sisters.
He assured the people of Balochistan that the government would continue to reach out to them and would go an extra mile to alleviate their sufferings. He said completion of Ratto-Daro Link Road would unleash the real benefit of Gwadar Port for the people of the area. Katchi Canal project would help transform agriculture and would go a long way to alleviate poverty in rural areas. He urged the few angry youngsters, involved in negative activities within the country as well as abroad, not to fall prey to the intrigues of the detractors of Pakistan. He urged them to come back and talk to their own government and promised that they would not be disappointed.