QUETTA: Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa has advised the disgruntled Baloch youths fighting against the state to abandon their armed struggle, join the mainstream and play a role in the development of the country, especially Balochistan.

Speaking at a ceremony held in Gwadar on Saturday for distribution of cheques among local fishermen for interest-free loans, he said the government would help them in getting skills development training.

Besides protecting the borders, the army was contributing its due share in social development of the country, he said. “Our brave soldiers have been sacrificing their precious lives for securing Pakistan,” he said. “Our fishermen have a colossal contribution in fostering the country’s economy, the civil-military leaderships are fully aware of their issues and the loans without interest would help fishermen increase their expertise in the fisheries sector,” the general said.

Cheques for interest-free loan distributed among fishermen

The Commander Southern Comm­and urged disgruntled Baloch militants to abandon their armed struggle against the state and said the army was ready to extend full support to them in joining the mainstream. “We are ready to provide them skill training so they could play their role in developing Pakistan,” he said.

Gen Bajwa said the army had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Balochistan government to start a skill-oriented developing programme for disgruntled youths who were willing to join the mainstream.

“We have to get united to foil conspiracies of enemies against Pakistan,” he said.

Referring to illegal fishing through big trawlers in the coastal area of Makran, the Commander Southern Command said the prime minister and army chief were informed about the effects of illegal fishing. He said Pakistan Navy, Coast Guards and Maritime Security Agency had been directed to stop illegal fishing in coastal areas of Balochistan.

Gen Bajwa also talked about the water crisis being faced by Gwadar and other areas of Balochistan and said the provincial government and the army had been taking joint steps to end this crisis. He promised that the Karwat desalination plant would become functional in the near future while more plants would be installed to fulfill the needs of water in Gwadar.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2018