President’s speech at Zhob 2005

28 April 2005

Distinguished Governor Balochistan Owais Ghani, Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Yousaf, Communication Minster Shamim Saddiqui , Secretary General PML Balochistan Jafar Khan Mandokhel, Finance Minister Balochistan Ahasan ullah Sahah, District Nazim Shafiq Manodkhel, all ministers, senators, MNAs, MPAs, Nazims, ladies and gentlemen,

Assalam O Alaikum! Today I am, very happy and very proud that you people have come from very far places since 9’o clock morning. I am very proud of you and proud of your sentiments which have been shown by Nazims and Chief Ministers; these have also made me sentimental. I will be very proud to fulfill the wishes and demands of you people.

We can fulfill it because we have the resources and we don’t want to enlist ourselves in those people who did not fulfill their promises. They make false promises because they really had no resources and if the pockets are empty then it is obvious that they will just make false promises and they can’t do that.

Today I am very proud to say that we have enough resources to meet the needs of the people. I am here with full pockets not and with empty pockets. And if we will have sufficient resources then we can make progress. What ever you going to demand from me I will try to ensure that to you. I am very thankful to Nazims and Mandokhel and all those people who have arranged this and especially you people who have come here to listen to me and have given me an opportunity to share with you all the things openly. Now I will very honestly share with you all things.

First of all I would like to say that I can well feel that you people have taken part in the independence of Pakistan and especially ZHOB people have participated in it with zeal and enthusiasm. I know the flag of Pakistan Muslim League was hosted in Balochistan in ZHOB.

I know you people also participated in the struggle of Kashmir; many people have gone from this area to Kashmir to participate in Kashmir cause. You people are very brave, patriotic and valiant. I know it very well that’s why I am here. You can see this poor man who has come to meet me with his needs. I am very hurt to see his condition and I promise that I will make all possible efforts to help him out of the troubles which he is facing. I also want and will struggle for all the people who are sitting here, if poor, I really want to alienate them from poverty.

I lived in Quetta in 1980 in Staff College. I spent one night here and two nights in Takhte Suleman in your beautiful area. We were four people and we were really impressed by the hospitality which people showed to me. I am very happy and proud to say that I went to Kalat and I talked to Baloch and I am also very happy that here I am talking with Pukhtoons. This crowd is more than my expectations and I never thought that I could talk to such a big crowd in ZHOB. I am very thankful for the love and sincerity which you people has shown towards me.

I have talked about Baloch and Pukhtoons. The both are nationals of Balochistan.

As Chief Minister said that you are all the nationals of Balochistan. Both have to equally play their role in the prosperity and in resolving the problems of Balochistan. No Sardar has right to attain authority in the certain area and raise his voices on your behalf. I would like to ask it from you that have you given him right to talk on your behalf. He does not have any right to talk about Balochistan.

He was also the governor of Balochistan and what did he do for the development of Balochistan? I am sure that he has done nothing and if now we are willing to work for the development of Balochistan, why he is creating problems and he has no right to take stand in our way. He has no importance and he is involved in violence with his people and his own people are the victim of his atrocities. So there is a need to talk about the whole Balochistan, there are so many people who can talk about Balochistan. He is taking benefits and trying to put all eggs in his basket but the people of his own tribe are facing the difficulties and wandering in Pakistan and have nothing in their hands because they do not have the facilities. He has deprived them of these facilities.

I think that the people of Kalat and Balochistan have the rights and you people who are sitting here are true representative and you should talk. I will love to fulfill the desires and demands raised by you and people of Kalat and I will do it Inshallah. I have noted down all the demands. Let me discuss that Nazim has requested me about Qamar Din Karaiz that he should be at border gate and for trade I know its importance.

 For your benefit I will open it Inshallah for the enhancement of trade activities. I have ordered 2 for it. Secondly I have instructed the Army to immediately open a Cadet college here on your request. We will start it from Matric and then it will be turned into college. There was a problem of PIA flights and the governor has talked to the PIA officials that only one flight comes in week and there should be more flights. I am trying that in smaller areas like ZHOB, there should be more lights.

Regarding this matter I will also talk to the new Air Blue service for the provision of more flights in Balochistan. I will promise to sort out these problems. We have also talked about railway and it should be from Quetta to ZHOB and then to DI Khan. I have instructed the railways to overcome the problems as soon as possible and make a broad gage. We would link it with the main railways line so that the means of transportation should be easy for you. We will construct the check dams and I will instruct the governor to make more check dams here to provide the water facility to the people. There is no problem in its making. The money is no problem and we will provide enough money for these projects.

We are going to make big dams like Bhasha and KalaBagh dam and there is no problem of making these checks dams. The telecommunication system is not good here and I assure you that we will improve this system because we have made tremendous progress in this field. There would a great change in the telecommunication system of Pakistan Inshallah. The facility of electricity extension will also be provided in this area.

WAPDA will arrange the electricity provision wherever possible. Now I will talk about the debt, ZTBL already waive off the half loan of 5 lakh and the loan up to 2 lakh was also waived off. I announce here that the whole loan will be waived off because the starvation and the calamity disaster occurred here. This is all possible because we have made economic progress. MusaKhel and Taunsa road will be taken under consideration. NHA’s communication minister will look for the construction of roads in Balochistan. We are going to spend hundred billion rupees for the construction of roads to make the communication and transportation system more effective in Balochistan.

I have not personally examined the Sui gas but we will tell Sui Southern to sort out this problem and we will bring gas in ZHOB. As the resources will be increased we will try to provide gas in all parts of Pakistan. There is no question to deprive the people of Balochistan of gas. I will provide gas facility in Ziarat, Kalat, Khuzdar and in Zhob and why the previous governors did not provide at their time. Only the statements do not carry weight but there should be some practical work and which we are doing.

I am really surprised and feel regretted that when someone tries to interfere and cerate problem in way of prosperity. A large amount of our money is being spent on the developmental projects in Balochistan as compare with Punjab. We are spending 8 million Rs in the projects like coastal highway, Gawadar port, Merani dam, Kachi Canal, Subagzai dam and Quetta’s water system.

We are spending a lot of our economic budget in Balochistan. People asked for the provincial autonomy and I fully agree with this point that there should be provincial autonomy and National Finance Award. And I am fully convinced that it should get amount for the national economic growth. The people like PONM should not have any problem and I wanted to do all this then why they are reacting in such a way? Since the last three years I want to give this and I am ready to provide all this.

We have provided 1.5 billion Rs for the gas royalty in the last three years. I think that we should give a proportionate amount to that area where the actual production is processed. The share should be given to district and then to province. I got the complaints that the job opportunities are very less for the people of Balochistan. I have opened ISSB branch in Balochistan so that the people should come in Army from Balochistan and the young people who are intelligent they should be appointed as officers in Army.

 Now this Army consists of entire representative from all the provinces of Pakistan. Now lets come to the Frontier Core, we are going to establish 12 wings in FC and we have already taken 2500 people from Balochistan an I know 600 people have been appointed from ZHOB and 6000 more people will be appointed from here in next year. I would like to excuse here that all the development projects are for Balochistan and not for the Pukhtoons, and I would like to explain here very truly that what happened earlier and what is happening now with Pukhtoons.

We started these projects four years ago and at that time we do not have sufficient money and resources. So it was the need of the hour to spend these resources at those projects where it was much necessary. Then at that time we did not see which area is it and we started our work for the national interest of Pakistan not for the 3 specific area. We consider that there should be Gwadar port and it is in Mukran in the area of Balouchis and then coastal highway was very necessary for linking it with Karachi and it is also in Makran.

Kachi Canal is necessary because the right of water is not provided to the people of Balochistan because there is no canal and this Kachi Kanal will provide water facility to all the areas in Balochistan and this was gain for Baloch but we did not lag you behind because we started Subagzai dam and the water provision facility to Quetta. This is not less but now as we have enough amounts and now we will make effort for the Pukhtoons and we will give you more than your needs and requirements. Now I will tell that what we are doing for you. I know the communication system need improvement as we have made Gwadar port and if there would be no roads then the development will be all in vain that is why we are working for the construction of roads.

 We have initiated a road project from Zhob to D I Khan and total estimated cost for this project is 8 million. The second road will link all the cities like Quetta, Zhob, Lora Lai and Dera Ghazi Khan to each other. This will link Frontier and Islamabad. The road of D I Khan will give you to Multan easily. You can easily reach Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Peshawar.

We are trying to improve the trade facilities for the Balochistan because it is rich in fruits and vegetables and you can earn more by enhancing the trade activities. I assure you that these road projects will be completed in three years. Let me remind you that I promised to complete the coastal highway in December 2004 and by the grace of Allah Almighty, we completed it before the actual time. NHA has made it and the faults in that will be immediately recovered. We have spent 100 million especially for the facility of Pukhtoons. Our believe should be broad and we should think for the Pakistan not for the specific areas and people. China is developing the Southern parts and there is no way out for them the only way out is Pakistan.

Gwadar port will be beneficial for us as the Central Asian states and Afghanistan will use the Gwadar port. They are all making their roads in way to Pakistan and that will be beneficial for us. Our roads have made on a well plan; that will take you to Qandhar from Chaman; Quetta to Iran; Peshawar to Jalabad and Kabul and to all the countries like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and then to China. This is all communication system. The maximum advantage of this will be Balochistan and when you will be benefited then it means all Pakistan will be benefited. Pukhtoons will be benefited from this too.

In the coming three years the railway system will be improved. We will make progress in all areas and we will move towards the prosperity. I would just want you to be with us in these projects so that we can complete them and further move on the way of prosperity. I need your help. I really feel regret when someone says that there should be wheel jam and strike. This really makes me depress. It is just like driving a car and few are trying to stop it from moving. We are facing such problems in making progress for our country. I need your cooperation in this context and then we can make progress. I know your demands and I will try to fulfill it according to your will.

We will also work for the Khojak pass which is the plan of Balochistan Governor and we will make a tunnel and we will make it easy. We will also work in the border areas. I need your help in the field of education. You can make progress by promoting education in your area. There was only one university in Balochistan and now we have six universities in Balochistan. I am very happy at this that we have such progress in the field of education.

For constructing the universities we have provided 6 billion rupees and this is provided by Higher Education Commission. In the coming years 15 billion rupees will be given to you for your province. I will fulfill all your demands and I will need your support in diminishing Wheel jam strike, terrorism and extremism. Islam is a complete code of life and it teaches us love and dedication and there is no extremism in our religion. I feel guilty when I heard that Muslims are killing Muslims. There is a need that you should stand against these evils. I want that you should start a campaign against those people who create hurdles in the way of prosperity and be with me.

I want that the PML should be united and do their work in best possible way so that you can get vote from people in the coming elections. Lastly I would say that I will asked PM to give 5 crore rupees fro the betterment of Zhob am proud of army and this army is your. Whenever you will be in trouble it will rescue you. With your cooperation Pakistan will make progress and Balochistan. 4 Balochistan Zindabad Pukhtoon Zindabad Pakistan Zindabad, Paindabad