India conspiring to create unrest in Pakistan: Afridi

QUETTA: Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi Tuesday said that India has been conspiring to create unrest in Pakistan in the name of religion, sects, ethnicity and linguistic diversity.

“We need to project Pakistan's culture as an arsenal in today's era of war of narratives,” Shehryar Khan Afridi said while addressing a ceremony here. “Enemy has been working on our fault lines but we have been countering and thwarting their conspiracies,” he added.

Talking about Balochistan, Shehryar Khan Afridi said Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken important steps to project the under developed areas of the country. He said Balochistan is a bouquet of flowers and that it reflects the true picture of Pakistani society.

He said youth engagement is need of the hour and sports activities are a tool to engage youngsters in positive activities. “Balochistan youth have excelled in all areas and we are proud of our youth,” Afridi said.

The Kashmir Committee chairman said Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched new visa regime to help promote tourism and cultural heritage of Pakistan to the outer world. “We invite the world to come and see the changed and vibrant Pakistan,” he said.

“Pakistan has a unique and rich coastal line and we can project our coastal tourism,” he went on to say. “Pakistani culture is rich and unique and our historic relics and heritage is being showcased for the entire world,” he added.

Balochistan Minister for Culture, Sports, Youth and Heritage Khaliq Hazara believed that negative activities can be rebuffed by projecting cultural heritage of Balochistan and also engaging youth and boosting tourism.

He said the provincial government has promoted cultural artefacts and has brought 20,000 artefacts back to Balochistan.

“We are reviving our cultural heritage museum. We have allocated funds for sports complexes in each district of Balochistan,” he said.

The minister said the federal government has handed over land to Balochistan government and a huge sports complex is being built in Quetta. “We want our youth to be engaged in healthy and positive activities in the province. We are going to open playgrounds for our youth while cultural revival is also on our priority list,” he said.

“We are holding successive events in Balochistan to project the province as a peaceful and thriving economic hub,” he added.

Ministry of Culture, Sports, Youth and Heritage Secretary Asghar Arifal also spoke on the occasion.