Paying tribute to the troops who foiled attacks on the security installations in Balochistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said terrorism could not deter the people of Pakistan from moving forward, as they were very strong and resilient.
He was addressing the officers and jawans of the Frontier Corps and Pakistan Rangers in Nushki, Balochistan.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, federal ministers and senior commanders were also present.
Imran expressed his determination to give a befitting response to the terrorists trying to hamper the pace of progress, particularly in Balochistan.
The prime minister’s visit comes days after the security forces foiled attacks by the militants in Nuskhi, Panjgur and Kech areas of Balochistan. According to the ISPR, at least 20 terrorists were killed in Nushki and Panjgur operation.
Imran said no other army faced unprecedented challenges due to the acts of terrorism in the wake of the Afghan war. He said the Pakistan Army excelled in professionalism and helped in ridding Pakistan of terrorism.
The prime minister said he was shocked to hear about the terrorist attacks in Balochistan and wanted to stand along his troops who were waging a “jihad against the terrorists”.
“Not only me, but the whole nation stands with our jawans.” The prime minister said that he especially came to Nushki to express solidarity on behalf of the countrymen with the armed forces, says a news report.
He said all those who sacrificed their lives have a “special place in heaven and pointed out that the martyrs had the second-highest place after prophets”. The prime minister announced a raise of 15% for the officers and men of the FC and Rangers.
But, he added, the entire world was witnessing a “storm of inflation” at present and even developed nations like the US and Britain, which had more resources than Pakistan, were seeing highest inflation in years.
“I do realise that the salaried class is facing difficulties and I assure you that we want to [improve] the economic situation so that we are able to further increase people’s salaries,” he said, adding that however, the government was helpless in some aspects.
For instance, he said, there had been an increase in fuel prices internationally. “And Pakistan imports it. So what can we do in Pakistan” if the prices increased globally, he added.
Imran then again gave the assurance that his government would increase salaries with the increase in revenues. In this regard, he also urged businesses and large corporations to increase the salaries of their employees. He said the entire nation had a firm belief in the capability of their forces to thwart any threat of terrorism. “The entire nation has the confidence that terrorists cannot cause any harm to the country,” he maintained.
The prime minister said the government was spending huge funds on the uplift of Balochistan province, undertaking a number of mega development projects which had never been undertaken by any government in the past.
Mentioning the construction of Chaman-Quetta and Karachi Highway as the ‘biggest project’ to transform the lives of the people and conditions of the province, the prime minister said the government had already allocated funds for the project.
The prime minister resolved that more funds would be allocated for development of Balochistan in future, as the government was fully focused on alleviation of backwardness of certain areas, including KP’s tribal districts and Gilgit-Baltistan. Imran said the government was determined to bring an extensive development in the coming days that no outside power would succeed in misguiding the people to destabilise the country.
The next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would hugely benefit the people of Balochistan, as it would bring industrialization, materialize the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs), and transfer technology in the agriculture sector to help boost the country’s productivity. He said China had been assisting Pakistan in increasing its agri-yields and expressed confidence that soon Pakistan would be exporting agricultural produce.
