Attempts to sabotage uplift in Balochistan will fail, vows PM

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD/ZIARAT: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday strongly condemned terrorist attacks against Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops in Quetta and Turbat and reiterated the government’s resolve to fight the terrorists and foil attempts against peace and development of Balochistan.

Prime Minister Khan, in a tweet, expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for their departed souls. “We will continue our fight against these terrorists and will not allow them to sabotage peace and development in Balochistan,” he said.

An FC post near Pir Ismail, Ziarat, was targeted by terrorists on Monday night. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), around four to five terrorists were killed while seven to eight were injured. “Four brave FC soldiers embraced Shahadat while six soldiers got injured,” in the exchange of fire, the ISPR said.

In another incident, terrorists targeted an FC vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Turbat, wounding two FC soldiers. The ISPR said: “Such cowardly acts by inimical elements backed by anti-state forces and HIAs (hostile intelligence agencies) cannot sabotage the hard-earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan.” It added the security forces were determined to neutralise nefarious designs of the anti-state elements at the cost of their blood and lives.

National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf also strongly condemned the terrorist attacks. “Prayers for the family members of the Shuhada (martyrs)”, he tweeted. Yusuf said Pakistan stood resolutely against terrorists and their external sponsors. We will fight this menace and not allow hard won successes to be reversed,” the National Security Adviser said.

Later that day, Prime Minister Khan visited Balochistan, where he delivered a speech in Ziarat. His address there was focused on the country’s economy and development in the province. “I have good news to share with you: The country is coming out of economic hardships. GDP growth is estimated at around 4 per cent and has been made public,” Khan said at the Quaid’s residency.

The Prime Minister regretted that the opposition parties, which have been eyeing the government’s failure for the last two and half years, were now disputing the GDP growth figure. “In fact the opposition parties wanted the present government to fail in economic terms, as they fear that if the government succeeds, their politicking will end,” he remarked.

The Prime Minister said: “Since the present government came to power, the opposition parties were giving deadlines for the end of government sometime in three months or by December 31, etc. But I am worried about the opposition that what will they do now?”

He expressed his belief that the country would achieve further economic growth during the next fiscal year. “Pakistan will go further up [in economic terms] during our next government,” he maintained.

Prime Minister Khan said the present government, despite economic constraints due to the debt burden it inherited and the fact that there was a coalition government in the province, was spending much in Balochistan because it owned the people of Balochistan, which was neglected in the past.

“If the previous governments would have spent more in Balochistan in the past, the situation of the province would have been better,” he remarked.

The Prime Minister said the leaders had two choices either to make money for themselves or spend on the nation. “If I think about palaces in London, how I will think about the nation?” he said.

Khan referred to the contribution of Malaysia’s Mahatir Mohamad and Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew in the development of their countries and said they did not make money or build palaces in London, but served their countries and nations. He said Ziarat could be turned into a hub of tourism for enhancing the income of the local populace and check poverty.