Addressing participants of the Balochistan National Workshop in Islamabad, the prime minister accused India of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan and stressed the need for a united national response to defeat the threat.
He said Balochistan s leadership had consistently placed national interests above personal considerations and praised the province s people for their historic role in the creation of Pakistan.
Highlighting inter-provincial solidarity, PM Shehbaz said Punjab had made generous contributions to Balochistan s share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, adding that Pakistan s development depended on the equal participation of all four provinces.
The premier also announced that work was underway on the Karachi-Chaman dual carriageway project, describing it as an important step towards improving connectivity and development in Balochistan.
Referring to Pakistan s fight against terrorism, Shehbaz said the country had sacrificed around 90,000 lives, including a sessions judge who was killed in Mastung a day earlier.
He criticised the Afghan Taliban government, saying it had "completely failed" to prevent terrorists from using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistani civilians and security forces.
The prime minister maintained that terrorism had largely been eliminated by 2018 but had returned as part of an "organised conspiracy".
He vowed that the sacrifices of the people of Balochistan would not go in vain and said Pakistan had achieved significant successes in recent days.
On regional diplomacy, Shehbaz praised Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar for their role in mediating between the United States and Iran.
He said Pakistan s efforts to promote regional peace had earned international recognition, noting that Islamabad emerged as a key mediator between Tehran and Washington after conflict erupted following the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28.
Army chief vows decisive action against foreign-backed proxies
The prime minister s remarks came a day after Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir reaffirmed Pakistan s resolve to eliminate terrorism and defeat foreign-sponsored proxies operating in Balochistan.
Speaking to participants of the 20th National Workshop Balochistan at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army chief said sustained operations by security forces and law enforcement agencies, backed by public support, would bring lasting peace to the province.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Field Marshal Munir said targeted operations against Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan would continue with full determination until terrorism and its facilitators were eliminated.
He also reiterated Pakistan s commitment to dismantling terrorist infrastructure wherever it posed a threat to the country s security.
The army chief said foreign-sponsored proxies had repeatedly attempted to destabilise Balochistan, but their "nefarious designs" would be defeated through a firm and decisive response by Pakistan s armed forces, supported by the resilience and unity of the nation.
