Balochistan on development highway thanks to CPEC: Acting Pakistani President

Islamabad: Acting President of Pakistan Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has said that the Balochistan province was on the development highway thanks to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Sanjrani, who as the Senate Chairman is acting as the President due to President Arif Alvi’s visit to Turkey, expressed the confidence that the successful completion of the CPEC projects would bring development and prosperity for the Balochistan province and the whole nation.

Addressing a 100-member delegation of students from seven districts of Balochistan here at Parliament House, he said Balochistan was on the path of development and prosperity. “Development of Gawadar is imperative for the prosperity of the country”, he said, adding people from all over the country would come to Balochistan for economic activity, and “this province will be at the forefront in coming days,” he added.

Sanjrani said optimum utilisation of natural resources and promoting education was crucial to development and prosperity of Balochistan. He added that Balochistan was rich in natural resources, and the people of Balochistan, especially the educated youth, could reap benefit from the CPEC projects. “Being the future of the nation, the young generation should step up and play their full role in the country’s progress and prosperity”, he remarked.

Highlighting the importance of Gawadar, Sanjrani underscored that the development of the country was interlinked with Gawadar, which could be taken advantage of not only to change the destiny of Balochistan but also to bring growth and prosperity to the entire country.

“Steps are being taken to promote education in Balochistan. Soon universities will be set up in Chaghi and Gawadar areas of Balochistan province so that the people there can get higher education,” he informed the visiting students. He said the Senate had been playing an essential role in encouraging the young generation and invited various delegations to acquaint the students with the work of Parliament House.

The Acting President remarked that it was the shared responsibility of all of us to convince the world that the people of Balochistan were progressive and would work hard to find new avenues for development.

Lauding Prime Minister Imran Khan’s efforts for Balochistan development, Sanjrani underlined that the Prime Minister had been paying particular attention to the development of Balochistan, which resulted into approval of projects worth billions of rupees.

Sanjarani, giving detailed answers to the questions regarding power outages and water issues, said steps were being taken to solve the problems of electricity and water in Gawadar.

Referring his recent visit to Iran, Sanjrani apprised the students that detailed consultation on the aforementioned issues was held with the newly elected President of Iran. He informed that six trade routes on the border were also identified during the meeting with the newly elected President of Iran.

Sanjrani assured the delegation that a permanent solution for electricity and water would be sorted out in a year. He said with the cost of Rs 18 billion, Gawadar would soon be connected to the national grid. Furthermore, with the installation of a 50MW solar plant, the electricity requirement of one district could be met.

For the permanent solution of the water issue, a plan would be put in place to desalinate salted water, he informed, adding “There are vast opportunities to generate electricity from alternative sources in the province.” Sanjrani also remarked that he would talk to the Chinese government about granting scholarships to at least 300 students of Balochistan.

“I will take every possible step to bring the student of Balochistan at par with other students of the country,” he stressed. The Saudi government has also sought details of 50 to 60 students in terms of scholarships and higher education, he said, adding children from Balochistan would also be sent there to pursue higher education.

He asked students of Balochistan to learn from the expertise of those who are already working in Gawadar. The Acting President and a delegation of visiting students cut the cake to commemorate the Independence Day of Pakistan.

The Acting President also presented a shield to the delegation. The delegation comprising of 100 students from seven districts of Balochistan, while thanking the Acting President of Pakistan, expressed pleasure and said that the visit would help them understand the affairs of Parliament. A delegation of students from various educational institutions of Balochistan also visited the Senate Museum and Senate Hall.