Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday announced ‘Equalisation Package’ for the Balochistan province under which the federal government would share half the development cost in every district of the province including establishment of hospitals, education and other facilities. He said the Equalisation Package will ensure the provision of equal facilities in all districts of the province to achieve the target of sustainable development goals. He further said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the most important initiative of our generation and it will prove game changer not only for local people of Balochistan but also for the entire region.
It is hoped that this package would redress the grievances of the people of Balochistan. Apart from capital city of the province, all other areas massively lack basic civil facilities inducing heath, education and clean drinking water. Quality of health facilities can be measured from the fact that female morality rate in the province is four times higher than in rest of the country. Apart from Quetta, all other cities are facing water crisis. Poverty rate in the province is much higher than other provinces, almost three-quarters of the population is living in poverty.
A lot has been said that Gwadar will revolutionise the lives of Baloch people, but its results yet to be seen in improving lives of local people. It is pleasing to know that Prime Minister has termed to keep Balochistan on top of the priority list. He announced Equalisation Package for Balochistan, but critics are of the view that many other such packages have been announced in the past, but most of them proved mere gimmicks. It is also being said that at a time when few months are left in the next general elections, announcing another package is just an act of attracting voters of a province where PML-N is not very popular. According to federal ministers hundreds of billions of rupees have been spent in the province in last few years, but sadly effect is not visible. Still socio-economic indicators present a dismal condition. There is dire need to form sustainable model in order to improve living standard of local people. It is hoped that this time it is not mere rhetoric and it shall be ensured that Equalisation Package will help in uplifting socio-economic status of the biggest province of the country.
