Govt approves funding for Kachhi Canal, other Balochistan development projects

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti announced the disbursement of funds for the Kachhi Canal project phase two, a demand from the people of Balochistan for nearly 25 years.

The overall goal of the Kachhi Canal project is to irrigate 800,000 acres of barren land and change the agricultural paradigm for the area.

Announcing their development package, the federal government has laid out efforts for infrastructure and economic relief packages to be considered a radical change for Balochistan.

The package would also include major works on the Karachi-Chaman Highway, the “bloody road,” well known for its accidents and travesties. Improving this highway will not only better connect the region but also save lives and livelihoods.

Federal Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal commended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s rallying efforts and desire to focus on development costs in Balochistan.

The Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Khalid Hussain Magsi, in the meantime, commended the Chief Minister Bugti’s quality of leadership in persuading Sardar Akhtar Mengal to stop his protests.

The government has reduced prices for petroleum products, as CM Bugti celebrated it as a positive move for the people of Balochistan. Next, border districts will be a top priority in the next budget to fight the longstanding abuses from smuggling and uplift trade. CM Bugti stated regional development is a cooperative venture, “Every Pakistani is creating competitiveness.”