Imran Khan reiterates support for 'inclusive development' in Balochistan

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday reiterated his support for "inclusive development" in Balochistan.

Dawn quoted the Prime Minister while addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of Balochistan Medical Complex, as saying, "When you empower people on a village level, it will help development."

"We have to make sure that development is inclusive. The more we focus on Balochistan, the more it will develop and Pakistan along with it."

"The people of Balochistan fear that they will become a minority and lose their jobs. We were discussing this earlier. We need institutes for technical education and skill development. I will discuss this further with the chief minister," he said.

Prime Minister Khan said that the medical complex would become a part of the medical city planned in Quetta.

"We are also going to build a cancer hospital here," Khan said.

The Prime Minister further noted that Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid is working on a plan for a rail network from Quetta to Taftan in Iran, apart from creating a master plan for Quetta.

"Major cities in Pakistan do not have master plans, and cities are expanding. Unless you have master plans in place, you cannot provide basic facilities in urban areas," Khan said.

Balochistan is famous for its port city of Gwadar, which features the multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major investment project as well as a geostrategic asset for China to strengthen its military prowess in the South Asian region.

Prime Minister Khan regretted that Balochistan was neglected in the past and was only remembered at the time of elections in the country.

"Our focus is to develop Balochistan," ARY News quoted Khan as saying.

Dubbing the western route of CPEC as a "game changer", the Prime Minister said, "China was working on the eastern route. We should have worked on the western route." "This 305-kilometre route will bring a lot of change and development."

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for a new international airport at Gwadar, which he promised, will have the latest equipment and facilities and is expected to be one of the country's largest airports.

Lastly, the Prime Minister further announced that Gwadar will be connected to Pakistan's national grid.