Gilani links Balochistan prosperity with peace; asks militants to shun violence
QUETTA, Oct 11 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said the prosperity of Balochistan was linked to peace and asked the militants to shun violence and work for the progress of Pakistan. “Choose the path of peace, as this is the only way for the progress of people of Balochistan and Pakistan,” the Prime Minister said while addressing the passing out parade of the recruits of the Pakistan Army belonging to Balochistan.
“The agenda of these terrorists and extremists is certainly against Pakistan,” Gilani said and urged them to shun this path. The Prime Minister said those who opt not to heed to this advise must understand that they might delay progress and prosperity of the people of Balochistan, but they cannot deprive the people from the pace of development for long.
The event was also attended by Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and senior civil and military officials.
Prime Minister earlier reviewed the guard of honour. The young recruits presented him salute and the national anthem was played. The recruits also exhibited their prowess in anti-terrorist skills and demonstrated ways to neutralise militants. In his address to the recruits, Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan was passing through a critical juncture and regretted that some people had chosen the path of terrorism, which was bringing a bad name to the country and to the religion Islam.
Prime Minister Gilani paid rich tributes to the country’s armed forces for their sacrifices to rid the country of the scourge of terrorism. He said the armed forces and the people of Pakistan stand united to eliminate extremism and terrorism and to bring prosperity and development to the country.
The Prime Minister also lauded the Baloch youth for standing shoulder to shoulder with their brethren from the rest of the country to safeguard country’s sovereignty and integrity.
He said the government had planned to provide jobs to 20,000 youth from Balochistan and appreciated General Kayani and Commander of the Southern Command Lt General Javed Zia for ensuring best possible training to bring the youth from the area into the national mainstream.
“I am sure these youth will bring honour and dignity to the country’s armed forces and Pakistan,” the Prime Minister said. Prime Minister Gilani highlighted the major development projects in Balochistan aimed at the socio-economic uplift of its people and said the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan was specifically launched to bring about a positive change in the area.
He said these unprecedented measures catered to provision of facilities relating health, education, employment, communications and economy.
Gilani said 133 out of 1180 projects were being implemented in Balochistan at a cost of Rs 305 billion. He said Rs 126 billion had so far been spent while Rs 28 billion allocated during the current fiscal year.
He said a meeting at the Aiwan-e-Sadr reviewed the progress on Dera Bugti Development package, Quetta Development Project, Kohlu Development Project and Sui Package. He said Rs 111 billion had been allocated for 23 schemes for provision of water in Balochsitan including small dams.
Of which, he said Rs 10 billion would be provided this year while Mirani Dam and Subakzai Dam had been constructed at a cost of eight billion rupees. He said the completion of Kachhi canal water project would irrigate 120,000 acres of land in first phase and about 700,000 acres in second phase.
Gilani said another project of water supply to complete in June 2012 will cost Rs 4.5 billion and will irrigate 287,000 acres of land. He also mentioned the ongoing work on Noling dam, Wandar dam, Hangol dam, Paler dam, Garok dam and Hub dam.
He said priority had been given to the construction of roads and their improvement in Balochistan for which Rs 8.5 billion had been allocated for 17 projects.
For Gwadar airport, Rs 1.5 billion had been provided for purchase of land while Rs 1.1 billion had been allocated for its construction, he added.
The Prime Minister mentioned the steps being taken for upgradation of education system in Balochsitan and said colleges had been built in Khuzdar and Loralai while funds were being given for universities in Loralai and Turbat. He said Balochistan and its people are a symbol of nation’s honour and regretted that their rights had been neglected in the past that created a sense of deprivation.
He said Pakistan Peoples Party always projected the cause of a strong federation and devised a strategy to mitigate the sufferings of Baloch people soon after holding the public offices.
Gilani recalled the gesture of President Asif Ali Zardari who on the first day in parliament,apologized to the Baloch people for the injustices rendered to them and pledged dawn of prosperity in Balochistan.Gilani said the Supreme Court of Pakistan had established a cell of Human Rights. He said the mechanism of finding the missing persons was improved for which a judicial commission had been in progress.
Prime Minister Gilani said setting up of cantonments had been stopped in Balochistan while decision had been taken to deploy Frontier Constabulary in place of Pakistan army. He said ten check posts of the PCG Coast Guard have been abolished. Gilani said the government chose Gwadar for finalization of the National Finance Commission Award. He said the gathering of the provincial chief ministers and representatives of federal government was a testimony to the rights of Baloch people with a pledge to ensure zero-tolerance to injustice meted to them.
He said the NFC award guarantees the rights of Balochistan in accordance with the 1973 Constitution in which the provinces were given their monetary and administrative rights. He said under the NFC award, the divisible pool and fund transferring had been increased from 5.1 to 9.09 percent. He said the royalty formula had also been reviewed with inclusion of royalty and GDS to one pool.
Gilani said for the dues from 2002-08 that sum up to Rs 10 billion, about two billion rupees each had been paid for 2010-11 and 2011-12. He said the B areas of the province had been upgraded to A areas. He said Rs 120 billion as gas development surcharges of Balochistan would be paid over a period of 12 years. During the fiscal years of 2010-11 and 2011-12, an amount of Rs 10 billion each had been provided.
The Cabinet Division had provided the government of Balochistan an amount of Rs one billion for the rehabilitation of the flood affected people. He said another amount of Rs 128 million has been allocated for the displaced people of the Mula Band.
He said measures were afoot to provide natural gas in areas of Sui, Pir Koh and Looti. He said the federal government would also provide 30 per cent of its shares from its 50 per cent of the Saindak Project to the Balochistan government. He said the entire project would be handed over to the government of Balochistan after its completion.
He said the federal government has also approved funds for five thousand posts of BPS 14 and 16, while maximum posts would be provided to the youth from Balochistan at the Gwadar port.
Prime Minister Gilani said an amount of Rs 3.5 billion is being earmarked for 600 scholarships for the students from Balochistan, by the Higher Education Commission.
He said the scope of the Benazir Income Support Program has been increased to 30 districts of Balochistan and pointed that so far an amount of Rs 4.23 billion has been distributed amongst 140,000 deserving people.