Development of Balochistan PTI government’s top priority: Imran Khan
Mir Salam Jogezai:
ZIARAT: Prime Minister, Imran Khan on Tuesday said the development of Balochistan was the top priority of his government. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab government always tell me that (I) too generous towards Balochistan, the Premier told a gathering in Ziarat, the country’s famous tourist destination.
Imran Khan said past governments failed to develop Balochistan and bring it at par with other parts of the country. “We are under so much debt due to previous governments [that] all our money goes towards paying installments. We have very little money to spend on people. Despite this, we have given as many funds to Balochistan as we could have.
At the outset of his speech, the premier prayed for the families of four Frontier Corps soldiers who were martyred in a terrorist attack in Quetta a day earlier.
The money that was previously given to the province was not spent properly, the premier said, adding that if that had been the case, Balochistan’s “condition would be very different today”.
He said Ziarat could become a tourist hub which would increase the incomes of local people and reduce poverty. He gave the example of KP which he said had the “worst conditions” in 2013 when the PTI government came to power in the province.
“War on terror was going on, some 500 policemen had been martyred, there was no [rule of] law, the businesses had shut down. The biggest business [back then] was kidnapping for ransom.” However, the condition of the province was turned around because of tourism, the premier said.
“A UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) report said between 2013 and 2018, poverty in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was reduced at the highest rate as compared to other provinces. The most money spent on people’s health and education was in KP.
