Zubaida highlights the development process in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zubaida Jalal Tuesday said that government is paying special attention to the progress of Balochistan and unprecedented development projects are presently under the process of completion.
She said the pace of work on all the development projects was satisfactory and most of them are being completed before the scheduled time. Alongside with infrastructure development at big and small levels revolutionary steps have been taken for the promotion of primary and higher education in the province, she said.
She said that there were only two universities in the province in 1999 but presently there are seven and the efforts are on to further expand the network of educational institutions. The government had planned to set up a technical institution at district level she said and added that all out efforts are being made to impart vocational education to the locals so that they could play their role in the development activities.
Zubaida Jalal said that Gwadar that used to be a small place some time ago is now being converted into a mega city that would become a hub of economic activity not only in Balochistan and Pakistan but in entire region. She said Gwadar Institute Foundation is a big initiative of the present government which on completion would bring vivid change in the living conditions of the locals.
The government is trying its best to engage the local manpower in the development activities she said adding there is no harm in acquiring high level professionals from other parts of the country if they are not available locally. She said that Balochistan province remained neglected over the past and consequently there is shortage of skilled manpower. The government is pursuing short term and long term manpower training programmes in the province and hopefully all the types of local manpower would be available in near future.
To a question she said there was some vested elements who are making vain efforts to hamper the process of development in Balochistan otherwise the people are very jubilant over this change. Some Baloch elites fear that they would not be able to use the people to fulfill their vested agendas if they got education and economic empowerment.
That is why these people are engaged in anti-state and anti- Baloch activities she said and added the government in this situation has adopted a policy of direct approach to common man. She said the days are not far when the people of Balochistan would not only be at par with the people of other provinces but to some extent they would be ahead of them.—APP