NAUSHKI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced a 15 per cent increase in the salaries of Frontier Corps (FC) and Rangers personnel during his visit to Balochistan.
The premier made the announcement while addressing a ceremony in Naushki, where four members of the armed forces, including an officer, were martyred last week during a terrorist attack on a security camp.
PM Imran was accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and senior commanders were also present.
Addressing the gathering, the prime minister tributes to the “heroes who neutralised terrorists and saved lives” during the last week’s attacks. He commended the country’s armed forces for their performance in the war on terror, saying that the manner in which they had fought the war was unrivalled.
“None of the other defence forces anywhere else in the world, including Afghanistan, matched the calibre of Pakistan’s armed forces”, he said, vowing to give a befitting response to the terrorists who were trying in vain to hamper the pace of progress, particularly in Balochistan.
The prime minister said he was shocked to hear about the terrorist attacks in Balochistan and wanted to stand along with his troops who were waging a jehad against the terrorists. “Not only me, but the whole nation stands with our jawans,” he added.
The premier also acknowledged that inflation had been growing in the country. However, he said, the entire world was witnessing a “storm of inflation” at present and even developed nations like the US and Britain were seeing highest inflation in years.
“I do realise that the salaried class is facing difficulties and I assure you that we want to improve the economic situation so that we are able to further increase people’s salaries,” he added.
Speaking on the development of the province, the premier said the present government was spending hugely on the uplift of Balochistan with a number of mega development projects which had never been undertaken by any democratic government in the past.
Mentioning construction of Chaman-Quetta and Karachi Highway, as the ‘biggest project’ to transform the lives of the people and conditions of the province, the prime minister said, the government had already allocated funds for the project.
He resolved that more funds would be allocated for the development of the province in future as the government was fully focused on alleviation of backwardness of certain areas including former tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan.
He further said that during his recent visit to China, President Xi Jinping had assured him that the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would benefit Balochistan the most. He added that technology transfer, information technology and industrialisation would be covered under the next phase of CPEC.
Army chief’s visit
Earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that the army chief will spend the day with troops in Naushki and also meet those who repulsed the attack on February 2.
During his visit, Gen Bajwa will be briefed about the security situation in the area as well as operational preparedness of the formation to counter terrorist activities.
In its statement, the ISPR said the army chief and the prime minister will both be given a comprehensive briefing later in the day. They will also meet local tribal elders, it added.
