PM’s aide briefs ‘National Workshop on Balochistan’ about CPEC projects, initiatives

Islamabad: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Imran Khan on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Khalid Mansoor has briefed a ‘National Workshop on Balochistan’ here over the CPEC projects and initiatives.

In his briefing, the SAPM on CPEC Affairs mentioned that substantial work was being done to uplift the Balochistan province under the CPEC.

“The development of Balochistan under the CPEC would not only connect it with the other provinces but it would pave the way for regional connectivity,” he remarked.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistani Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar underlined that the government was committed to provide maximum share in federal resources to Balochistan for its speedy development.

He pledged that the federal government would provide maximum resources to the Balochistan for development and to bring it on par with other provinces in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Umar maintained that it was the Prime Minister’s vision that the state should give priority to the development of the most backward areas of the country and therefore special development packages had been announced for Southern Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and 14 priority districts of Sindh along with Karachi Transformation Plan.

He underscored that CPEC was playing a miraculous role to improve the lifestyle of the Balochistan people with a long list of development projects.

While highlighting the Southern Balochistan Development Package, he pointed out that consisting of 199 projects, the total cost of the Package was Pakistani Rs 601 Billion which focused on providing employment opportunities, health and education facilities, and digital connectivity to the area.

He said that digital Balochistan would significantly contribute to employment generation for the people of the region.

Various segments of the society including politicians and notables of Balochistan regardless of the social and political affiliations attended the workshop which aimed at enabling the exchange of perspectives amongst the participants through the lens of Balochistan.

The workshop was participated by SAPM CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor, Parliamentary Secretary Kanwal Shauzab and other senior officials.