ISLAMABAD (special crosspondent) – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday proposed renaming the long-delayed Kachhi Canal project as the “Pakistan Canal,” pledging to ensure its accelerated completion alongside various national water storage initiatives. The federal government has allocated Rs 368 billion in the current fiscal year to prioritize these essential water infrastructure projects. The announcement followed the prime minister’s address to participants of the National Workshop Balochistan (NWB), where he emphasized that national development is contingent upon the collective progress of all four provinces. He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to sustained financial support for Balochistan.

Commitment to Balochistan’s Development

Addressing the workshop participants at the Prime Minister’s House, Shehbaz Sharif noted that the federal capital serves all provinces equally. He highlighted that while Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by landmass, its unique demographic distribution necessitates greater resource allocation to provide equivalent education and healthcare outcomes. He recalled the 2010 National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, which doubled Balochistan’s share of federal resources with the voluntary support of other provinces, particularly Punjab. Describing this support as a national obligation rather than a favor, he noted that Punjab has contributed approximately Rs 11 billion annually toward this arrangement.

Infrastructure and Energy Initiatives

The Prime Minister detailed ongoing development projects, including a significant solar-power initiative that has transitioned nearly 27,000 agricultural tube-wells in Balochistan to solar energy, with the federal government providing Rs 50 billion of the Rs 75 billion total cost. Furthermore, he addressed the urgent need for the conversion of the Karachi-Chaman highway (N-25) into a dual carriageway. To fund this estimated Rs 300 billion project, the government is utilizing savings from recent petroleum price reductions, aiming to transform the route into a corridor of peace within the next two years.

Security and Regional Diplomacy

Paying tribute to the victims of terrorism, the Prime Minister honored the late Abdul Hakeem, a sessions judge in Mastung, alongside the security personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty. He noted that approximately 90,000 Pakistanis have sacrificed their lives in the struggle against militancy. Shehbaz Sharif reiterated concerns regarding foreign-funded subversion in the region, specifically alleging Indian involvement in facilitating militancy, and urged the Afghan interim government to prevent their territory from being used against Pakistan. He concluded by asserting that Pakistan’s recent economic and diplomatic stability must be consolidated through continued national discipline.

Governance and Transparency Reforms

During the post-address question-and-answer session, the Prime Minister responded to queries regarding the extension of transparency reforms to provincial departments. He cited the Federal Board of Revenue, noting that roughly Rs 800 billion in previously evaded taxes was recovered during the last fiscal year. He maintained that this model of transparent governance is being scaled to provincial levels to bolster the national treasury. Regarding education, he reaffirmed the continuation of merit-based laptop distributions, noting that Balochistan’s quota is set 10 percent higher than other provinces. Additionally, the government is expanding the Danish Schools programme into Balochistan, with nine schools currently in development to provide free, high-quality residential education to students from low-income families.