QUETTA: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday said the people of Balochistan are patriotic, talented and need opportunities to tap their potential, adding that the PPP government is working on projects to create opportunities for them.

The prime minister said that he has given instructions to chief secretary Balochistan to designate 35,000 graduates of Balochistan to be given jobs by the government.

He said this while talking to a delegation of Pakistan People's Party Balochistan led by its Provincial President Mir Sadiq Umrani who called on the prime minister at Governor House in Quetta.

"35,000 jobs have been created for the youth of Balochistan besides relaxing job criteria for them," Gilani said.

He maintained that 1,500 more jobs would be given this year in the federal levies force in Balochistan, adding that the federal government would further recruit 10,000 youth in different departments and out of them 5000 would be sent abroad after requisition of required skills in their respective fields.

The prime minister said, “Balochistan is close to my heart and I want welfare and well being of the people of Balochistan.”

He said that under the 18th amendment, provisional autonomy has been given to the provinces to empower them.

He said that under the 7th National Finance Commission Award (NFC), the share of Balochistan has gone upto Rs 120 billion as compared to Rs 40 billion in past.

The prime minister further said that the federal government has allocated Rs six billion in scholarships for the youth of Balochistan and created opportunities for them to get an education in the prime institutes of Pakistan.

He said Rs five billion would be given to deserving and poor families of Balochistan. Gilani also said completion of Kachhi canal would bring revolutionary change in the economy of Balochistan.