Quetta: Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said that there is a need to raise awareness about the historical facts related to Balochistan, stressing that Balochistan’s accession to Pakistan was based on mutual consent, the concept of forced accession is false propaganda. .
Addressing the participants of the 14th National Workshop Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz said that it is wrong to label the operation based on a limited area as a province-wide operation. He clarified that in the past operations against insurgency were conducted on a limited scale in specific areas and it is important to correct these historical facts.
The chief minister added that Balochistan is being pushed towards instability in three ways: through violence resulting in the death of innocent people, through baseless propaganda against the state on social media, and through social media. Through destabilizing negative social tactics. He said that according to the facts, it is important to present the real picture of Balochistan to the outside world.
The Chief Minister remarked that the backwardness of Balochistan is not due to external influences but is the result of misbehavior of its own people. He pointed out that neither Punjabis, Sindhis, Saraikis nor anyone has kept Balochistan backward. Instead, his people themselves have contributed to the situation.
He also informed that priority steps are being taken to bridge the gap between the youth of the state and Balochistan. For the first time, a youth policy has been developed, and scholarships are being offered to students from Balochistan to pursue PhD studies in 200 top universities around the world. He further said that the provincial government will bear the educational expenses of the top students of every district of Balochistan for a 16-year educational journey.
He also said that a strategy has been formulated to train 30,000 youth in various skills and send them abroad for employment in the next three years.
The Chief Minister assured that interest-free loans will be provided to the youth if they come up with business plans. He added that efforts are underway to improve governance in Balochistan, including stopping the sale of government jobs, opening 100 closed schools in Pishin district and reviving dormant educational and health institutions across the province.
Anti-corruption measures have been activated, and investigations into corruption complaints originating from Kohlu and Dera Bugti are ongoing.
The chief minister asserted that the aim was to improve governance and restore the confidence of the youth in the state. He urged the youth of Balochistan to decide whether they want to be a part of a futile war or move ahead in educational and social development.
During the workshop, the participants asked the Chief Minister about various political, economic, social, governance, law and order and development issues in Balochistan.