Blast incidents drop from 483 to 27, rocket attacks 372 to 5 during 3 years in Balochistan: PM told

QUETTA: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was apprised Monday that the bomb blast incidents in Balochistan had dropped from 483 to 27 and rocket firing from 372 in 2013 to five this year.

The Prime Minister, who was in the city to inaugurate development projects, including National Health Programme, was given a detailed briefing by Balochistan Chief Secretary Saifullah Chattah on law and order at the Governor House.

The Chief Secretary apprised the Prime Minister that the incidents of highway robberies had also declined from 90 in 2013 to nine this year while those of kidnapping for ransom also dropped from 49 to eight during the same period.

He said Balochistan was confronted with multiple challenges, including terrorism, sectarian and target killing, and kidnapping for ransom.

Security of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Gwadar and implementation of National Action Plan were among other challenges, he added.

The meeting was briefed that the unwavering political will and effective coordination between intelligence and law enforcement agencies had resulted into elimination of high profile terrorists.

The Chief Secretary said three new medical colleges had been set up while Bolan Medical College was upgraded to Medical University and Agriculture College Quetta to Agriculture University.

He said two sub-campuses of University of Balochistan, two new residential colleges at Kharan and Sibi and 141 new primary schools had also been set up during the present government.

Saifullah Chattah briefed the meeting that the government had also built 105 small dams, 659 water supply schemes, 3,451 KM roads, two new 50-bed hospitals at Gwadar and Sui, besides creating 21,000 jobs.

In his comments, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Balochistan was long neglected by the Centre and even its provincial governments. The solution of its problems, he said, lay in quick execution of development projects.

"It is time to do what could not be done in the past. The Federal Government will ensure provision of the required assistance and help so that issues of Balochistan are adequately resolved. We are further increasing the allocation of funds to the province for the fiscal year 2016-2017," he said.

The Prime Minister said Balochistan and its people would be the biggest beneficiary of the projects like Gwadar Port and CPEC. These two projects alone had the potential to change the destiny of millions of people in the country and the region, he emphasized.

Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Sardar Sanaullah Khan Zehri, Minister for SAFRON Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Minister of State for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar, National Security Advisor Lt Gen (R) Nasser Khan Janjua and members of the provincial cabinet attended the meeting.