The visit of newly elected Prime Minister Mr Shahbaz Shareef to Quetta is a good sign to address the long-standing issues of Balochistan province. Furthermore, Balochistan is the biggest province of Pakistan by land area and is full of natural resources. Because of its proximity to Gwadar port, Balochistan is called the “Gateway to Central Asia and the Middle East.” It is considered one of the lesser developed provinces among the four federation units of Pakistan. N-25 National Highway connecting Quetta to Karachi is the most dangerous highway in Pakistan due to its single lane. So many fatal accidents take place every day on the N-25 highway, resulting in the loss of precious lives. Furthermore, the insurgency is the most disturbing element in the development of Balochistan. The current visit of the Prime Minister to Quetta is a positive initiative by the current coalition government to focus on the province. The announcement of the N-25 Double road is a good sign towards reducing the accidents and also reducing the travelling time between Quetta to Karachi and will hopefully increase economic activities in the province.

In addition, the announcement of the new Technical University in Quetta will open new vistas in the field of modern technology. The announcement of the Metro bus service in Quetta will increase connectivity in the city and provide a good transportation system for the commuter. Moreover, providing laptops and scholarships to the students of Balochistan will bring them to par with other provinces of Pakistan. Bringing half a million needy people into the social safety net will help them to sustain above the poverty line. There is a dire need to bring the people of Balochistan into national unity and provide them opportunities for higher education, good health, a business environment and decent jobs according to their needs for the betterment of the country. Furthermore, it’s the responsibility of the newly elected prime minister to complete the development projects all over the country on an equal basis. It is the perfect time to complete the neglected M-6 motorway from Sukkur to Hyderabad and the KCR project may be completed on a war footing so that Pakistan can come on the track to economic development.

ABDUL KHALIQUE,

Karachi.