'Entire Balochistan's vote bank equal to Faisalabad's': PM Imran Khan

• PM Imran Khan says government is paying "full attention to the socio-economic development of Balochistan"
• Says the problem of sectarianism started in the 1980s but it is currently fuelled by India to create unrest in Pakistan
• Speaks about the "corruption" of previous government; vows not to give NRO to "corrupt elements"
  

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that Balochistan was "never given importance by the past governments because the entire province's vote bank is equal to that of Faisalabad".

"Our federal governments did not pay attention to Balochistan because the total vote bank of the province is equal to that of Faisalabad division," he said. "Whichever government came into power, tribal leaders formed an alliance with them."

The prime minister said that his government, however, is paying "full attention to the socio-economic development of Balochistan".

The premier was addressing a meeting comprising young social media influencers from all over the country. During the meeting, the prime minister talked about several issues, including the Opposition and performance of the previous governments. He also listened to the comments of the influencers and answered several questions.

The premier went on to say that the development funds allocated to Balochistan directly went to the tribal leaders, who continued to accumulate wealth and power but the masses remained poor and deprived.

"The PTI-led government is the first one in history which is working towards the socio-economic development of Balochistan and paying full attention to it," PM Imran Khan claimed. "We are employing efforts to develop South Balochistan through different packages, but we are still short of funds."

Answering a question about the unrest in Balochistan and a certain narrative that people have developed about the province, PM Imran Khan said that the PTI-led government will do whatever it can to improve the situation there.

"The sectarianism and the targeted killing of Hazaras started in the 1980s with the arrival of the Afghan Jihad. This was the first time when we saw the rise of militant sectarianism," PM Imran Khan said. 

Read more: PM Imran Khan arrives in Quetta, meets Governor, CM Balochistan

He added it was unfortunate that many militant groups formed when the United States left Afghanistan in 1989 and they wreaked havoc in Pakistan, particularly targeting the Hazara Shia community.

"Our security agencies opine that the recent killings of the Hazara community in Balochistan, which is claimed by ISIS, is backed by India," he maintained. "It is India's stated aim to spread terrorism in Pakistan, especially through sectarianism."

The premier said that despite having the knowledge about India's plan and the diligent work of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the terrorists targeted a remote location in Balochistan.

'Pakistan faces problems today due to previous corrupt govts' 

Shedding light on the performance of previous governments and the present-day Opposition parties, PM Imran Khan said that political leaders awarded the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to each other [to hide their corruption].

"Even Pervez Musharraf gave the NRO to the two major political parties of the country," he said, referencing the PPP and PML-N.  "In the past, some of the ministers were even allowed to work abroad while holding offices here."

Read more: Elevating Balochistan 'part of my imaan', says PM Imran Khan during first visit to Turbat

The PM added that all the problems that Pakistan is facing today are because of the corrupt governments of the past. 

"If we too start issuing the NRO to corrupt elements, the country will suffer," he said. "They even attempted to get an NRO on the matter of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)."

Speaking about PML-N leaders, the premier said that Khawaja Asif had obtained a residence permit in the UAE to launder money, and even the prime minister, defence minister, and the foreign minister had been working abroad. 

"The Opposition alliance (PDM) has come together not for the sake of national interest but to serve their personal agenda," the PM said. "I reiterate, I will never give them the NRO."