Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani said on Saturday that strong federating units would form a strong federation, and the government was taking all possible steps to strengthen the federating units to form a strong Pakistan.
"Every citizen of Balochistan is a VIP for us. The past regimes allocated funds to Balochistan on population basis, while our government has set a new precedent by allocating resources to the province on the basis of both area and requirements. This process would bring this ignored area at par with the developed provinces of the country within next five years," he said while addressing a 21-member delegation from Balochistan University that called on him here at the Cabinet Division.
PTV Managing Director Yusuf Baig Mirza, PBC DG Javed Akhtar, PIO Rashid Chaudhry, EP Wing DG Sohail Mansoor, Minister's Office Director Qamar Bashir, APP News Director Javed Akhtar and Incharge IP Wing were also present.
Durrani said that the development process needs, enabling environment and better law and order situation in Balochistan Province, could materialise the development process in a short span of time.
Terming the participation of the people of Balochistan "most crucial element" in the development process, he said that public involvement in the development process in Balochistan was the need of the hour, and this could be a catalyst in early progress and prosperity of the area.
Unveiling Information Ministry's future projects in the province, Durrani apprised the delegates that the ministry, in its budgetary allocations, had allocated record sums for new projects in the province.
"A re-broadcasting station in Qilla Saifullah with an amount of Rs 37.95 million would be inaugurated next month, which would benefit a population of around 80,000 people in the area. Similarly, an FM radio station would be formally launched in Gwadar with an amount of Rs 59.46 million, and this radio station would cover around 50 km radius. A 100 kw transmitter with an amount of Rs 60 million would also be inaugurated next month, which would cover an area of 150 km radius.
Besides this, re-broadcasting stations would also be established in Ziarat and Kharan, while FM Radio Stations would be established in Chaman and other remote areas of the province.
The government is also launching projects to discover the natural resources of the area and Chamanlang mines have been revived after a lapse of so many decades, he said.
The Minister said that vibrant nations face natural disasters with unity and sacrifice and the entire government machinery is making all-out efforts to minimise the damage caused by the recent rainstorms.
"Natural disasters do occur world-wide, and strong nations face natural calamities with the help of early warning systems and rapid response. As the Pakistani nation set precedent by facing the October 2005 earthquake with unity and sacrifice, all government machinery and volunteers are fighting the unprecedented rainstorms which have caused severe damage in parts of Balochistan, Sindh and FATA."
Durrani said that President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chief Ministers and Governors of Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP and other high ranking officials of the government were monitoring the situation and all possible help and rescue programmes have been launched for the affected areas and the people.
He told the students that the President would soon visit the affected areas, while the PM was already in Sindh, and he would visit Balochistan on Sunday. He said the armed forces were already operating in the affected areas, while volunteers from across the country were also reaching the affected areas.
"If the government had not responded in time, the damage would have been on much larger scale. Our country is like a body, and the agony of one area irritates the entire nation. The PTV launched special telecast regarding the rainstorm while Radio Pakistan also transmitted special programmes about rains and floods," he told the audience.
The Minister said that beside disaster, this rainstorm had also brought an end to drought in Balochistan. He said that Balochistan was facing water shortage for past so many years, while these heavy rains had filled the Mirani Dam which needed three long years to do so. He said the Mirani Dam filling would bring prosperity for the people of Balochistan.
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