ZIARAT: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri has said that the government will not leave the people of Balochistan at the mercy of terrorists and will not allow them to impose their thoughts on others at gunpoint.

Speaking at the national flag-hoisting ceremony at the Quaid-i-Azam’s Ziarat Residency to mark the Pakistan Day on Wednesday, the chief minister said: “We are peaceful people and want to remain peaceful as we believe that everyone has the right to live in the country in accordance with his/her beliefs and ideologies, but we will not allow anyone to impose his agenda on other people at gunpoint.”

Nawab Zehri said that terrorists used to roam freely everywhere, but now the situation had changed and the Operation Zarb-i-Azb had weakened them in Balochistan, like other parts of the country, and peace had been restored in the province.

Referring to cooperation and coordination between civil and military institutions, he said that the two leaderships were on the same page in the war on terror and this alliance would result in rooting out of terrorism from the country on a permanent basis.

Flag-hoisting ceremony performed at Ziarat Residency

Referring to disgruntled Baloch elements, the chief minister said: “I invite those elements who are living abroad to return to the country and join mainstream politics for a bright future of people of Balochistan.”

He said that these elements must understand that war was war and “we are ready to fight for the protection of our country, province, people and students”.

Nawab Zehri said that the government was determined to root out terrorism from the province and “give our future generations a peaceful and developed Balochistan”.

“Terrorists cannot stop our youths from getting education through their attacks on educational institutions.”

The chief minister saluted women students of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Quetta, who had faced the act terrorism against them bravely, but continued their education.

“When terrorists attacked the SBK university, the number of female students at the university was 1100, but it has now swelled to 5,000,” Nawab Zehri said.

He said that the government would provide best facilities to students as they were the future of the province to make them ready to take over future responsibilities of the province and the country. He urged students to benefit from the facilities the government was extending to them.

“All male and female students are like my children and I am working in the province as their custodian,” the chief minister declared, adding that he was accountable to future generations of the province.

He said that with joint efforts of security forces and the government, law and order situation had greatly improved in the province and now people from other provinces could visit Ziarat for sight-seeing without any fear.

The chief minister announced that Ziarat would be made a model city and that it would be provided a fire brigade unit. He announced Rs2 million for students of the Women University who had attended the flag-hoisting ceremony.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, the Commander of Southern Command, Lt Gen Aamir Riaz, said that every route coming to Pakistan passed through Balochistan and the province was symbol of the country’s strength.

“Balochistan is the largest province of the country which played an important role in the creation of Pakistan.”

He said that it was an honour for him to be present at the Quaid-i-Azam’s Residency in Ziarat on the occasion of Pakistan Day.

“It was Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who had founded Pakistan and as all nations love their heroes, we too love our heroes.”

The Inspector General of Frontier Corps, Major General Sher Afgun, Chief Secretary Saifullah Chattah, Inspector General of Police Ahsan Mehboob and a large number of tribal elders attended the ceremony.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2016