Balochistan Establishes 2,100 Community Schools, Brings Over 136,000 Out-of-School Children Back to Education

Quetta: Balochistan has made significant progress in education and public welfare, with 2,100 new community schools established across the province, bringing more than 136,000 out-of-school children back into the education system.
The development was highlighted during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Balochistan, Shakeel Qadir Khan, where officials reviewed ongoing development projects and reform initiatives across multiple sectors.
During the briefing, it was shared that the “Peoples Train Service” project has reached an advanced stage, with train coaches fully prepared and operations expected to commence on August 14, marking a key milestone in improving public transportation.
In the health sector, Balochistan has surpassed other provinces in its routine immunization program, successfully achieving 94% of its targets.
Energy initiatives were also discussed, particularly off-grid projects aimed at providing affordable electricity to remote districts. Authorities decided to invite private sector participation to help reduce electricity costs by up to 50 percent.
On law and order, officials set a target to declare eight major cities as “Safe Cities” by June 30, aiming to significantly enhance urban security systems.
Regarding clean water supply, the meeting was informed that 1,255 filtration plants are being installed across 900 union councils, with plans to accelerate the pace of implementation to ensure access to safe drinking water.
In youth development, under the Chief Minister Youth Skills Development Program, 620 candidates have been selected and issued work visas, creating new employment opportunities.
Progress in the irrigation sector was also reviewed, with work ongoing on five dams expected to irrigate over 42,000 acres of land, boosting agricultural productivity.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan emphasized that timely completion of development projects remains the government’s top priority. He stressed that transparency and quality in public welfare projects will not be compromised and directed authorities to closely monitor progress to ensure targets are achieved on time.