NAROWAL: Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that anti-Pakistan forces are launching attacks through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Speaking to Baloch students at the University of Narowal, he said he was pleased that they chose the university, adding that for the administration they are not only students but also respected guests who have come from Balochistan.
He said Balochistan is an important and sensitive province, and forces hostile to Pakistan are attacking the country through KP and Balochistan. Pakistan’s development, he added, is closely tied to Balochistan. The recent increase in unrest is because the government has initiated development projects in the province.
Ahsan Iqbal said Balochistan’s greatest strength lies in its mineral wealth, but extremist groups aim to control those resources. He added that today, wars begin with narratives—misinformation and distrust are spread first, and violence comes later.
He said instability weakens societies from within. Fake news on social media has become a major weapon. When CPEC was launched, a coordinated campaign was run against it to undermine Pakistan-China cooperation.
The minister said hostile forces wanted CPEC to fail. By 2017, major Chinese companies had arrived in Pakistan, and if the 2018 change of government had not occurred, the country could have received $25–30 billion in investment. But after 2018, an environment was created that drove investors away.
He said Pakistan was left waiting as the country became barren, and now efforts are underway to rebuild it. The “battle of truth,” according to him, has restored Pakistan’s regional power balance, placing it at least equal to India in global perception.
Ahsan Iqbal said the next challenge is the “battle of development,” which requires peace, stability, education, technology, and consistent policies. No country facing conflict can attract investment, he added.
He told students that unrest in Balochistan harms the province first, as it drives away investors and prevents new projects. For development, he stressed, peace is essential and it is the responsibility of youth to promote awareness about the importance of stability for progress.
