Balochistan’s mineral wealth belongs first and foremost to its people: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said Balochistan’s mineral wealth belonged first and foremost to its people, while stressing the need for federal-provincial cooperation to exploit the province’s vast natural resources.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the four-day Balochistan National Workshop, held in Quetta from August 18 to 21, the premier said Balochistan’s mineral resources remained “trapped inside the mountains”, and that capital and expertise were required to harness them.

“The mineral resources of the province are trapped inside the mountains of Balochistan, and there should be no doubt that this mineral wealth and assets belong first and foremost to the people of Balochistan, whether they are from Makran, Lasbela, Chaman or any other area,” PM Shehbaz said.

“Today, if I say that Balochistan is the richest province in the country, it would not be wrong. We need capital and expertise to take advantage of this mineral wealth, and this can only happen when there is active collaboration between the provincial and federal government. Unless these resources were exploited, this wealth would always remain only as part of the books,” he underlined.

PM acknowledges Balochistan’s grievances

PM Shehbaz acknowledged that it was incorrect to say that Balochistan had no problems, saying there were legitimate issues faced by its people.

“You are the biggest province in geographic terms and for such a large territory, you need resources to build hospitals and schools. The solution then is the fair distribution of existing resources of the provinces”.

He said violence could not be justified in the name of seeking resources, while targeted killings based on checking people’s identity cards were also condemnable. “If there are any problems and challenges, they should be resolved through mutual consultation”.

The prime minister said terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remained a major challenge and alleged that Fitna al Khawarij and insurgents were receiving funding from enemy countries and killing innocent people. “The armed forces and LEAs are fighting day and night with these terrorists and sacrificing their lives for the country”.

He said the government had allocated Rs415 billion for the Karachi-Chaman Expressway, describing the project as an effort to transform “a bloody road into a highway of peace”.

“Terrorists are, however, working to sabotage and destroy the peace by killing innocent people. Whose benefit does that serve? The state has the status of a mother and the four provinces are like four children that the mother nurses and cares for,” he added.

PM Shehbaz said it was “never too late” for the government to initiate a Grand Dialogue to address Balochistan’s issues in a civilised manner. “We are willing to sit and listen to the legitimate concerns of the people of Balochistan, adding that Pakistan will truly only develop if development takes place in all four provinces.

The prime minister also highlighted federal support for development projects in the province.

He said the federal government had contributed Rs40 billion towards the installation of 20,000 tubewells in Balochistan. “In 2010, when there was debate on the NFC Award, Punjab and other provinces contributed generously to increasing Balochistan’s share in the NFC Award,” he added.

PM Shehbaz emphasised that the union between Pakistan and Balochistan was “not established at gunpoint” but resulted from a shared conviction that “we could work together in the journey towards Pakistan’s prosperity”.

The premier noted that in 1947, “your ancestors chose to become a part of Pakistan”, adding that these honourable men included “Qazi Muhammad Isa, Mir Jafar Khan Jamali, Akbar Khan Bugti, among others”.

“There can be no difference of opinion that Balochistan is that part of Pakistan in which both Baloch and Pashtun people reside whose history is rife with examples of bravery and hospitality of guests. The people of Balochistan have never compromised on their self-respect and dignity at any cost,” he stated.

The premier said he did not want to delve into the details of what happened in 1950 and 1970, which were also part of documented history, adding that debate would continue over how those events could have been better handled through dialogue. “In 1970, Balochistan was given the status of a province and hence was declared the fourth province of the country”.

He added that the “lesson of history is that we need to move ahead with mutual trust and consultation”.

CDF Munir says Balochistan, Pakistan share ‘one and forever’ future

Earlier today, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Field Marshal Asim Munir, said the present and future of Balochistan and Pakistan were “one and forever”, stressing that enduring peace and stability were fundamental to unlocking the province’s economic potential.

Read: CDF Munir says Balochistan, Pakistan share ‘one and forever’ future

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday, during an interaction with notables and political leadership of Balochistan, CDF Munir highlighted the province’s “talented, resilient, patriotic and proud people”.

“Clear national narrative and lasting peace and stability were essential for attracting investment and translating Balochistan’s abundant human and natural resources into tangible prosperity for its people,” he said.

The field marshal said there was no dearth of talent or opportunities among the province’s youth, describing them as “the most vibrant and promising segment of our society”.

“He emphasised that empowering the youth and providing them opportunities to contribute to national progress remains central to sustainable development,” the statement added.

The statement further added that CDF Munir said Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan were foreign-sponsored proxies being employed by hostile elements to destabilise Balochistan, obstruct its development and create a wedge between the state and its people.

The federal government last year officially designated all terrorist groups operating in Balochistan as ‘Fitna al-Hindustan‘, accusing India of sponsoring a proxy war through these outfits. Fitna al-Khawarij is the state-designated term for the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Field Marshal Munir also appreciated the role of Balochistan’s notables and society leaders in promoting peace, strengthening social cohesion and advancing constructive national discourse.

Earlier in August, a US embassy official said that the Trump administration was ready to finance another project the size of Reko Diq, and American investors were willing to take security risks to invest in Pakistan’s mineral sector.

The US is looking for 60 types of minerals vital for modern technology, including those used in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, computing, energy and defence industries. Several of these are present in Pakistan.

Pakistan joined the US Critical Minerals Initiative in Washington earlier this year.