Youth Should Choose the Path of Development Instead of Violence; Government Will Provide All Possible Support — Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti

Quetta (Qudrat Daily) – Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said that the gap between the youth and the state will be bridged through education, skills, employment, merit, and meaningful dialogue. The government is providing opportunities, resources, and guidance to make the youth part of the legal economy instead of illegal activities. The government’s objective is not merely to train the youth and give them certificates, but to make them stand on their own feet. The Government of Balochistan will provide a conducive environment, interest-free loans, business support, and continuous guidance to skilled youth so that they can start respectable businesses in their own areas or anywhere in the country.

He expressed these views while addressing a certificate distribution ceremony on Thursday at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat Quetta, organized by the Department of Industry and Commerce, Government of Balochistan, and the Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP) under the Government of Balochistan-funded Resilience, Integration and Socio-Economic Empowerment Programme, for technical and vocational education-trained graduates from the districts of Kech, Gwadar, Panjgur, and Kharan. The Chief Minister also distributed certificates among the women and female students who completed their training at the event. Provincial Ministers, Advisors, Parliamentary Secretaries, Members of the Provincial Assembly, Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan, BRSP Chief Executive Officer Tahir Rashid, and other relevant officials were also present on the occasion.

Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that today’s ceremony is actually an occasion to encourage and acknowledge those young women who stepped out of their homes, acquired skills, completed their training, and began a new journey. This is an important moment for them because when the current government assumed responsibilities, a major challenge was to reduce the distance between the government and the youth. He said that the government, the cabinet, and members of the provincial assembly felt that a gap had developed between the younger generation and the state, particularly a decline in the youth’s connection with the state was a significant challenge. He does not consider violence to be the fundamental challenge; the real challenge is to reconnect the youth with the state of Pakistan, and practical steps are indispensable for this purpose.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that the Government of Balochistan included the Balochistan Rural Support Programme for this purpose so that it could play the role of a bridge between the state, the government, and the youth, and ensure the transparent implementation of the program. If the government had started such projects directly, delays and other administrative issues could have arisen due to official procedures, therefore it was decided to provide training, guidance, and practical support to the youth through an institution like BRSP. He clarified that this program is not limited to training and certificates only; rather, enabling the youth to start a business after acquiring skills is the basic objective of this program. BRSP, with the cooperation of the Government of Balochistan, will continuously guide those who complete their training, benefit from the expertise of the private sector to prepare them for business activities, and the government will continue its support for several years so that they can stand on their own feet.

The Chief Minister said that the Government of Balochistan’s effort is that trained young women and men not only achieve self-employment but also bring their families and other youth along with them in the future. He said that today is not the end of the journey for those who completed their training but the beginning of a new journey, and the Government of Balochistan will keep holding their hand to take them to a point where they can stand on their own feet. Referring to the government’s employment program for the youth of border districts, he said that the government started this program with the idea of providing legal employment and business opportunities to the youth instead of an economy linked to illegal activities. He said that extortion and smuggling cannot be the future of the youth; making the youth part of the legal economy is the government’s responsibility.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that attempts to lead Balochistan’s daughters toward violence, to make them wear suicide jackets, and to use them for anti-state activities neither conform to society’s traditions, nor do Islam and human values permit it. He said that efforts to distance the youth from the state through anti-state propaganda can be countered by providing education, skills, employment, and opportunities. The Chief Minister said that the Government of Balochistan has decided that along with limiting the illegal sphere, such opportunities should be created for the youth in the legal sphere through which they can utilize their skills to obtain business and employment. For this purpose, a comprehensive package consisting of training, a conducive environment, financial support, and interest-free loans has been introduced. He said that the women of Balochistan have a special priority for him, and he is confident that the province’s daughters possess immense capabilities. Society will truly progress when women advance in the economic and social fields. He said that the example of Bangladesh is before us, where women’s economic inclusion played an important role in advancing that country’s economy.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that when the women of Balochistan move forward, they will also lead their brothers, husbands, and children toward development and positive activities. The government is taking practical steps to empower women under this vision. He said that inviting the women who completed their training to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat is also an expression of this commitment so that the government’s vision of empowering women can be practically highlighted. He said that the Balochistan government is also introducing a modern and digital system in the health sector, and digital health initiatives in the province are receiving international recognition. The Provincial Minister of Health was invited as a guest of honor at an international conference in Sri Lanka, and now he has also been invited to Norway. He said that this is part of the Balochistan government’s policy of providing opportunities to the youth, and the youth should take full advantage of these opportunities.

The Chief Minister said that the objective of the Government of Balochistan is to make the youth skilled, entrepreneurial, and respectable citizens. Leaving illegal activities and moving forward in the legal sphere is the need of the hour. He said that the government started this program from the border districts because the impression was continuously given that the youth there do not have employment opportunities, so they turn to smuggling. The government has given a practical response to this thinking, and alternative opportunities are being provided to the youth. He said that the girls of the border districts have stepped out of their homes to acquire training, which was not an easy decision. He said that being from a tribal society, he fully understands the difficulties that girls face in stepping out of their homes for training and employment. He said that it is a matter of pride for him that Balochistan’s daughters are moving forward despite these difficulties.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that the Government of Balochistan will not limit this program for the youth to the border districts only but will expand it to the entire province. The distance between the youth and the state will be reduced through dialogue, empowerment, employment, job opportunities, and the supremacy of merit. He said that more than 15,000 teachers have been recruited in Balochistan, and the government has made merit the fundamental principle. He asked the media and the public to point out if there has been any violation of merit in any recruitment. The government is ready for accountability, and society cannot progress without the supremacy of merit.

The Chief Minister said that the campaign against corruption is also continuing vigorously, because unless society is freed from the scourge of corruption and merit is promoted, the journey of development cannot be completed. Referring to the Jinnah People’s Train, he said that the government has provided a modern travel facility to the public at a fare of fifty rupees so that laborers, students, women, and ordinary citizens can travel with dignity. However, it must be said with regret that incidents of stone-throwing on the train, damaging seats, and stealing its parts have come to light. Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that the Jinnah People’s Train is for the public, not for the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, or cabinet members. He urged citizens to protect their own facilities. He said that the government has provided a modern travel facility to the public, and it is also the responsibility of citizens to protect government property. He said that the services of Pink Buses and Green Buses are also being expanded to other areas of Balochistan. The public usage rate for the Green Bus service in Turbat is encouraging, and the service, which started with four buses, will be further expanded.

The Chief Minister said that the Government of Balochistan is providing not only employment but also opportunities for higher education to the youth. PhD programs and scholarship opportunities are being created for them at world-renowned universities, including Harvard and Oxford. He said that the elements who use propaganda to distance the youth from the state—the youth must choose education, skills, and development opportunities instead of their narrative. He said that for the first time in Balochistan’s history, a woman commissioner is heading a division, which reflects the government’s commitment to bringing women forward. He said that the government will start more programs to empower youth and women.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that three billion rupees have been allocated for the youth this year. If BRSP, Akhuwat Pakistan, and the Department of Industry and Commerce utilize this amount effectively, the government will provide another three billion rupees, after which this amount can be increased to nine billion and then to eleven billion rupees. The government will not leave the youth alone.

Addressing the youth, the Chief Minister said that for those youth who are on the path of violence, the doors of the state and government are also open. He said that if the youth want to abandon the path of violence and join the national mainstream, the government is ready to provide them with opportunities for education, employment, and development. He urged the youth to decide their future thoughtfully and choose the path of honor, education, skills, and development instead of violence. Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that the youth must understand that on one hand, opportunities for education, employment, business, and access to the world’s best educational institutions exist for them, while on the other hand is the path of violence whose end is destruction. He asked the youth to decide their future themselves and choose the path of development and prosperity.

The Chief Minister, while appreciating BRSP’s efforts, said that the institution’s basic role is that of a bridge between the government and the youth. He clarified that this program should not be presented merely as BRSP’s effort; rather, it is the Government of Balochistan’s program, which is being taken forward through BRSP for transparency and effective implementation. He said that the Government of Balochistan, the provincial cabinet, and the provincial assembly are taking these steps for the youth, and the ownership of these programs belongs to the Government of Balochistan. The role of partner institutions, including BRSP, is to deliver the government’s programs to deserving individuals in a transparent and effective manner.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that the Government of Balochistan will continue this program for the youth and will extend this initiative, which started from the border districts, to the whole of Balochistan. Empowering the youth, providing opportunities to women, creating employment, ensuring merit, and strengthening the youth’s connection with the state are the basic parts of the government’s policy. While appreciating Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan, the Secretary of Industry and Commerce, BRSP, relevant officials of the Department of Industry and Commerce, and all institutions that played a role in the program, he said that all relevant institutions must work together to give practical shape to the provincial government’s plans. He urged the Chief Secretary of Balochistan to continue bringing forward concepts for more such programs for the youth in the future, which the government will implement with the cooperation of its partner institutions.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti distributed certificates among the women and female students who completed their training and expressed good wishes for their future.