Consensus among provinces vital for unity: PM Shehbaz

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Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday emphasized the importance of consensus among provinces to promote national unity and maintain the true spirit of federalism in Pakistan.

Addressing the Balochistan Workshop in Islamabad, the Prime Minister said that international coordination is essential for the development and stability of the country.

He added that militancy which had “completely died down in 2018” was resurfacing. He added, “Security forces are sacrificing their lives for peace every day.

The Prime Minister called “our brothers” as “our brothers”. They should be equal partners in the development of the country.

The Prime Minister said that Balochistan has its own history, culture and was blessed with immense natural resources worth trillions of dollars. He added that these great national resources of wealth were still buried under heavy mountains, and unfortunately, what happened in the last few years was a matter of self-introspection.

He said that during the formation of Pakistan, leaders and tribal leaders of Balochistan had gathered in Quetta and decided to join Pakistan, adding that Balochistan had always been proud of its values ​​and culture. The Baloch people had always been very generous and fostered sections of society that had either migrated to the province or had lived there for ages, including Punjabi immigrants and other tribes.

The Prime Minister said that they have been living in Balochistan for a long time with complete harmony and peace.

He further observed that nature had uniquely designed the province: small and sparsely populated, where road infrastructure was a huge challenge, and without a proper road network, traveling was a daunting task.

The prime minister said that a road that runs from Karachi to Chaman was locally called ‘Bloody Road’ by the residents of the province due to frequent traffic collisions and fatalities.

“To turn this bloody road into a peaceful place”, he said, an estimate of Rs 350 billion was estimated, adding that petrol prices were announced every fortnight, and at one point, when prices were slashed, he decided to divert up to Rs 180 billion annually for the construction of the road.

The prime minister said that when he took this decision, he had only one goal in mind: to promote provincial harmony, love, unity, development, and from Peshawar to Karachi, there was no voice to oppose his decision.

Moreover, in history and facing different challenges to meet them, “the people of Balochistan should act as active participants and beneficiaries of national economic momentum and growth,” he asserted.

“These challenges need to be discussed and addressed, as they will benefit not only the people of Pakistan but also the people living in the province,” he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that financial resources are needed to meet these challenges.

He recalled that during the year 2010, when a new award of NFC was discussed under the government headed by former Prime Minister Gilani and President Ashif Ali Zardari, ministers including him had a full three-day discussion, and in that meeting they announced that Punjab was ready to meet the then Chief Minister of Balochistan’s demand.

“It was a memorable day in the history of Pakistan because they acted like brothers,” he said. He further said that these gaps and grievances need to be removed.

He said that there were problems, but Pakistan was like a common home for everyone. It was their advantage to overcome differences and distances and come together on the path of progress and peace with love, unity and sacrifices.