QUETTA: Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday presided over a meeting of the Balochistan apex committee and approved the ‘Pur-aman Balochistan’ programme for the return of the angry Baloch into the national mainstream

The apex committee meeting reviewed the overall security situation in the insurgency-hit province, the 'Pur-aman Balochistan' programme and progress on the National Action Plan.

Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Abdul Qadir Baloch retired Lt-Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch, Governor Balochistan Muhammad Khan Achakzai and Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch were among those attending the meeting.

Earlier during the day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also performed the ground-breaking of three important development projects namely Mangi Dam, Balochistan Agriculture University and Flyover on Smungli Road.

The Mangi Dam project will be completed at a cost of 9853 million rupees, Sumungli Road Flyover with nearly 1500 million rupees and Agricultural University at a cost of 4589 million rupees.

The PM also inaugurated Sariab Road Flyover, which has been completed at a cost of 1581 million rupees.

Upon PM's arrival in Quetta, Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif received him at the airport.

Balochistan to be a major beneficiary of CPEC: PM

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said that Balochistan would be a major beneficiary of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the project would open new avenues of development and prosperity for Pakistan.

“Gwadar’s deep sea port would link the land-locked Central Asian states with the rest of the world, and will attract massive amounts of local and foreign investment,” said the prime minister.

Read: 1,000 policemen to protect Chinese working on CPEC projects

“We will provide fool proof security to CPEC projects and we will ensure that maximum benefits reach the common people,” added the premier.

The prime minister was also briefed on the occasion regarding the current law and order situation and ongoing development projects in the province.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's much talked-about visit to Pakistan, Pakistani and Chinese officials signed a series of more than 50 accords to inaugurate the multi-billion dollar CPEC, which will create a network of roads, railways and pipelines linking China's restive west to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan.

Last week, Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif said that the army was ready to pay any cost for making CPEC a reality.

Further reading: Any attempt to obstruct CPEC will be thwarted at all costs: COAS

Unrest has been a major source of concern for the project. The military soon after the inauguration of the project during President Xi’s visit had announced setting up a 10,000-strong special force for protecting the projects to be carried out under the CPEC and the Chinese workers associated with them.

During his earlier visit to Balochistan, Gen Sharif said the overall security situation in the province had noticeably improved.