Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, on Wednesday, said the government would remain committed to the development of Balochistan to harness its true potential and bring it at par with other developed areas of the country.
He expressed this pledge while talking to National Assembly Deputy Speaker, QasimSuri and Balochistan National Party (Mengal) Chairman, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, who had called on him along with a delegation in Islamabad.
Planning Minister said that the government was working on a regional equalisation development program while adding that it would highly prioritise the development of Balochistan.
Bakhtyar stated that Balochistan would get the lion’s share for various socio-economic initiatives and schemes, especially to reduce poverty. He added that the government was also focusing on developing intermediate cities for the expansion of economic activities and to mitigate the influx of migrants to cities.
The minister apprised that Prime Minister Imran Khan had performed the groundbreaking of the Rs 65-billion Zhob-Kuchlak section of the western route; a project of the transmission line for Makran coast worth Rs 17 billion; an Rs23 billion Gwadar Airport project; a hospital as well as a vocational institute during his recent visit to Balochistan
“This shows the commitment of the Government to development of marginalized regions of the country,” he added.