QUETTA: Senate Defence Committee chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed has said policymakers in Islamabad are looking at Balochistan with an economic lens for the first time due to the CPEC, a radical departure from the military-driven, security-centric approach for the province.

Speaking at a webinar on ‘Development of Balochistan under CPEC’, organised by the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) on Thursday, the senator said Gwadar was central to both CPEC and the province’s development.

NIMA Director General Abdul Aleem, several experts, government officials, faculty members, students and maritime stakeholders also attended.

Mr Aleem told participants Balochistan had historically remained underdeveloped despite being the country’s largest province due to a lack of socio-economic infrastructure and education and employment opportunities.

Mr Aleem, a retired vice admiral, highlighted Pakistan Navy’s efforts in developing coastal areas of Balochistan by providing health care facilities, education and training institutes for the local communities.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2022