Rs 150-200 bln to be spent upon development of Blaochistan: PM Nawaz

ZHOB (APP) - Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Wednesday said that a hefty amount of Rs150 billion to Rs200 billion would be spent in the next three to four years in Balochistan for alleviating its backwardness.

He said there was no precedent in the history of Balochistan that construction work on massive roads network continued on such fast track basis.

The Prime Minister was addressing a huge gathering after performing ground breaking on the upgradation of 81kms Zhob-Mughal Kot road (N-50) and 128 kms Qila Saifullah-Waigam Rud road (N-70).

He said the upgradation of these roads would be completed within the next two years besides, completion of entire 2,428kms roads network linking other provinces with Balochistan.

He said as part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor, 194 kms road from Gwadar to Khushab would be inaugurated next month whereas Khushab- Panjgur -Basima 454kms road be completed by December 16 by the Frontier Works Organization (FWO).

Khuzdar-Wanguhil-Shahdad Kot, 243kms road would also be completed by the next year, he announced, adding all these projects were being funded by the government of Pakistan out of its Public Sector Development Programmes (PSDP).

He praised the Director General FWO Maj. Gen. Muhammad Afzal and NHA chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarrar for their hard work and commitment.

The Prime Minister also referred to Kalat-Quetta-Chaman and Kharan phase-1 roads which would be completed in the next year while feasibility work on Zhob-Jandola road was being done.

He said uplift of the province was the top priority of his government as it would benefit the entire country."The project would open up opportunities of trade and business for the whole region and help in removing backwardness of the province. Soon, there will be dawn of prosperity of which Balochistan would be the major source of fast track progress, "he added.

The Prime Minister also appreciated the national leaders who were at hand today for jointly laying foundation of the two road projects.

He expressed the hope that all the political parties would collectively work for the national prosperity and against terrorism and play their due part for the durable peace and prosperity.

He said that individually, he could not perform such tasks and thanked the political leaders accompanying him for their support.