QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri has said that those involved in the Mastung suicide bombing and killing of innocent labourers in Gwadar will be brought to justice.

At a press conference here on Wednesday evening, he said that a joint investigation team had been constituted to probe the two incidents. He termed the Mastung incident and Gwadar killings a conspiracy against Balochistan.

“Killing of innocent labourers of a road project was against Baloch traditions,” he said, adding that attacking and killing of unarmed people was an act by cowards.

Referring to his visit to China along with the prime minister to attend a conference on One Belt, One Road (OBOR), he said that three financial agreements pertaining to projects in Balochistan had been signed in Beijing.

These included: Gwadar International Airport, Eestbay Expressway, Gwadar port and Gwadar smart safe city master plan. He said that Balochistan would emerge as the major beneficiary of the OBOR projects.

“Balochistan is the only province of the country that had signed several agreements which pertained to development of Balochistan”, said the chief minister.

He said that the One Belt, One Road project was important for global trade in which 64 countries participated and the People’s Republic of China pledged to invest $124 billion in the coming years. He said the views expressed by the Chinese president about Gwadar Port and its economic and industrial zones are an honour for the people of Balochistan.

He also presented a long list of projects which would be implemented in due course of time making Gwadar one of the most developed cities of the world.

Nawab Zehri recalled that around 12 new schemes had been added in the CPEC, including Quetta Mass Transit Scheme, water supply to Quetta from Pat Feeder and industrial areas at Bostan and Khuzdar in northern and central parts of Balochistan.

Besides expansion of Zhob-Mughal Kot and Nokundi-Mashkhel road, Panjgur Highway would also be a part of CPEC, he added.

The chief minister disclosed that the Chinese experts had prepared the feasibility report of Quetta Mass Transit system from Spenzand to Kuchlak and presented it to the Government of Balochistan for approval.

He said that work on Quetta safe city project would be initiated and tenders for it would be floated soon.

Provincial ministers Nawab Muham­mad Khan Shahwani, Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Rehmat Saleh Baloch, Obaidullah Babat and spokesman for the Balochistan government Anwarul Haq Kakar were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2017