34th National Games inaugurated: PM vows full support to efforts aimed at promoting sports

QUETTA: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday assured that the federal government was committed to provide all possible resources for the promotion of sports and create conducive opportunities for the youth to excel in all genres of games.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 34th National Games, the prime minister said the nation was proud of its players and athletes who had not only earned fame in the country, but also brought laurels from abroad.

He said the national games were being held in the province after a lapse of 19 years.

“Holding of the national games in this historic city manifests the national unity and strength, and patriotism for the motherland,” he added.

The prime minister further observed that the young people possessed huge potential which could be utilized in different categories of games, so that they could further bring successes to the country.

Assuring the government’s complete support, he said in the past, they had distributed laptops, established Danish schools and promoted games, besides awarding the high achievers.

He said in the field of sports, they were committed to provide all available resources to the youth because a nation became healthy if its youth was healthy and could achieve progress if its young segment was properly educated.

The prime minister said the specter of terrorism in the past had affected different parts of the country with the terrorists mounting attacks on the GHQ and the Army Public School.

The armed forces and law enforcement agencies had decided to eradicate the menace with the support the nation, he said, adding in that fight, officers and personnel of the armed forces and law enforcing agencies and people from all segments of society offered huge sacrifices, so that the curse of terrorism could be crushed forever.

The prime minister said the whole nation saluted all those who faced terrorism bravely and offered sacrifices.

They foiled the nefarious designs of the enemies who wanted destruction of the country, he added.

Referring to the May 9 incidents, the prime minister said a Pakistani could not harbour such a destructive thinking, but belonged to the thinking of an enemy of the country.

He said on that day, the miscreants torched Quaid’s (Corps Commander) House in Lahore like the terrorists had set the Quaid’s Residency in Ziarat on fire.

The prime minister stressed that they should take steps within the confines of laws and Constitution so that such incidents could not be repeated.

He said May 9 would always be remembered as the blackest day in the country’s history and the incidents that took place on that day were highly condemnable. He regretted that the miscreants also disrespected the monuments of the Shuhada.

He also congratulated the governor, the chief minister and the management committee for making excellent arrangements to host the national games.