QUETTA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has cautioned that protests and sit-ins drive away investment in trade and industry.

Referring to the political upheaval caused by the Panama Papers leaks, he said a judicial commission was going to be constituted [to probe allegations against his family] on the demand of those people who were creating a political crisis. Now they should wait for the commission’s verdict.

He was speaking at a ceremony held here on Monday to launch the Pakistan Health Card introduced under the Prime Minister’s National Health Insurance Programme.

Before his address to the function, the prime minister inaugurated the programme by distributing the cards among registered beneficiaries.

Earlier, he inaugurated several development projects, including the Khuzdar-Dadu power high transmission line and the underpass on Quetta’s Zarghoon Road, by unveiling the schemes’ plaques at Governor’s House.

“Investment comes to a halt in a country where sit-ins and protest rallies lead to political chaos,” he said in a veiled reference to the latest anti-government campaign launched by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. “Investors avoid investing in a region where some elements cause political instability by their so-called movements.”

Referring to the opposition’s demand, Mr Sharif said his rivals were calling for formation of a judicial commission to probe [the allegations levelled against his family after the appearance of] the Panama Papers leaks. “The apex court has been requested to constitute a commission to conduct an inquiry into allegations of corruption,” he said.

“The commission’s decision will make everything clear.” Counting achievements of his government and showing confidence in its performance, Mr Sharif said his rivals would not have “their turn” even after 2018 (when general elections are to be held in the country).

“We will have to introduce an economic culture which can generate employment opportunities for educated and skilled youth.”

He said it was his dream to introduce a health insurance programme for poor people who could not afford medical treatment. “Since I give special priority to Balochistan in all matters, I decided to launch the programme from the province.”

Through the health card, he said, the government would bear a patient’s expenditure on medical treatment to the tune of Rs300,000. If the expenditure exceeded, he added, more financial aid from other sources would be arranged for the patient for completion of his/her treatment.

He said 76,000 families of Quetta were being issued the card, adding that the programme was based on the data obtained from the Benazir Income Support Programme and the National Database Registration Authority to ensure transparency.

The premier said the government, military and people had jointly been fighting terrorism. Investment and financial activities need peace to gain momentum.

The ceremony was attended by Governor of Balochistan Mohammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch, Minister for State for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar, National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Naseer Janjua, former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik, federal and provincial ministers and parliamentarians.

Meeting on law & order Later, the prime minister attended a meeting on law and order situation in Balochistan and ongoing development projects in the province funded by the federal government.

Giving a briefing, Chief Secretary of Balochistan Saifullah Chattah said because of mutual cooperation and coordination among intelligence agencies and security forces, law and order situation had improved to a satisfactory level in the province.

“Several terrorists have been killed, acts of terror like bomb blasts and targeted killing have come to an end and heinous crimes, including kidnapping for ransom and highway robberies, have been controlled,” he said.

On the development front, he said, buildings for three medical colleges and as many universities and seven cadet colleges were being constructed in the province.

He claimed that 105 small dams and over 600 water supply schemes were being constructed in different parts of the province to cater to the need for water.

Prime Minister Sharif underlined the need for timely completion of development projects to remove the sense of deprivation prevailing among people of Balochistan and to put the province on the track of development.

He said Balochistan would be a major beneficiary of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Gwadar deep sea port projects.

Two Balochistan towns get gas

The prime minister also performed ground-breaking of two gas supply projects — 40-km Quetta-Mastung pipeline and 55-km pipeline leading to Inayatullah Karez in Qila Abdullah district. An official of the Sui Southern Gas Company said work on Rs840 million Quetta-Mastung-Kalat gas pipelines had begun in June last year and was completed by October. The other pipeline has cost Rs 571m.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd , 2016