ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday emphasized the need for national unity, social harmony, and collective effort to ensure Pakistan’s peace, progress, and prosperity, saying that the entire nation must work together as one family to build a stronger and more developed country.
Addressing participants of the National Workshop Balochistan in Islamabad, the prime minister said every citizen has a role to play in strengthening national cohesion and promoting love, tolerance, and sacrifice.
“Pakistan is one household, wherever there’s a fire, we must join hands to put it out,” he said. “Only through love, unity, and selflessness can we make Pakistan a great nation.”
Sharif said that Pakistan’s provinces form one “family,” and harmony among them is vital for a strong federation. “We are Pakistanis first and then Baloch, Sindhi, Punjabi or Pashtun,” he noted, recalling the spirit of consensus during the 2010 NFC Award when Punjab made “historic sacrifices” to strengthen national unity.
He praised Balochistan’s unique culture, history, and natural wealth, stressing that its development is essential for Pakistan’s overall prosperity.
“Balochistan’s natural resources are a blessing that remain untapped. The province’s progress will lead to the country’s collective success,” he added, noting that better roads, power supply, and infrastructure were key to bringing education, healthcare, and industry to remote areas.
The prime minister also reflected on the country’s security challenges, recalling that Pakistan had successfully defeated terrorism by 2018.
“We must now ask ourselves — why did divisions re-emerge? We need to confront these hard questions and work together to restore lasting peace,” he said.
Sharif further emphasized that peace, brotherhood, and development are the true guarantees of progress. Referring to the reconstruction of the Karachi-Chaman highway, once known as the “bloody road,” he said the government has approved its dualization project worth Rs350 billion to ensure safer travel and better connectivity for Balochistan.
He added that the government’s reform agenda is delivering positive results across institutions. “The journey of improvement in every sector of Pakistan is moving ahead with determination,” he said.
PM hails PIA’s comeback flight to UK
Meanwhile, the prime minister congratulated the nation, especially overseas Pakistanis in the United Kingdom, on the resumption of Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) direct flights from Islamabad to Manchester.
He lauded the efforts of Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif, the Civil Aviation Authority, and PIA officials, saying the airline’s reputation, once damaged by restrictions, was being restored after years of effort.
“By the grace of Allah, Pakistan’s image is being revived globally,” he remarked, adding that the new direct flights would further strengthen people-to-people ties between Pakistan and the UK.
.jpg)
