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ISLAMABAD: The air at Lok Virsa Cultural and Heritage Museum this week is alive with the rhythms of Balochistan, the beat of folk drums, the swirl of embroidered turbans, and the aroma of sajji roasting over open flames.&nbsp;Visitors stepping into the Balochistan Grand Tourism Festival find themselves immersed in a vivid celebration of the province&rsquo;s culture, hospitality, and promise, according to a statement issued by the Press Information Department (PID) on Saturday.&nbsp;Organized by the Balochistan Department of Culture and Tourism, the three-day festival transforms the museum grounds into a vibrant slice of Pakistan&rsquo;s largest yet often misunderstood province.&nbsp;Models of major landmarks, &nbsp;from Gwadar Port to Hingol National Park, stand proudly beside displays of gemstones and minerals, highlighting the region&rsquo;s vast natural wealth and potential for tourism.&nbsp;Stalls adorned with bold Balochi embroidery showcase handmade jewelry, pottery, and traditional dresses, while the rhythmic sound of dambura strings draws visitors toward live folk performances. Women in brightly colored pashk dresses and men in flowing shalwar kameez perform the traditional chaap dance, their hands clapping in unison to the beat.&nbsp;The scent of spiced lamb and freshly baked kaak fills the air as visitors sample traditional dishes, each bite offering a taste of Balochistan&rsquo;s diverse culinary heritage. Families, students, and tourists stroll through the festival grounds, pausing to take photographs beside replicas of Quetta&rsquo;s Ziarat Residency and the rugged peaks of the Makran coast.&nbsp;Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pakistan Commerce Minister &nbsp;Jam Kamal Khan said it was time to show the &ldquo;real and vibrant Balochistan&rdquo; to the world, one defined not by challenges but by patriotism, traditions, and immense potential.&nbsp;&ldquo;When you invest in your own people, the world will come to you,&rdquo; the PID quoted the minister as saying, emphasizing that promoting Balochistan&rsquo;s beauty, heritage, and hospitality through tourism and investment can help foster national unity and reshape perceptions.&nbsp;Nawabzada Mir Muhammad Zarain Khan Magsi, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture and Tourism for Balochistan, said the festival aims to project the &ldquo;true image&rdquo; of Balochistan through its folk music, crafts, cuisine, and cultural performances.&nbsp;He added that such initiatives promote tourism while strengthening cultural diplomacy and interprovincial harmony.&nbsp;As twilight descends over Lok Virsa, the stage lights flicker on and the soulful strains of the suroz fill the night, a reminder that Balochistan&rsquo;s true story is one of resilience, beauty, and boundless spirit.

Culture

Colorful Balochi dresses, rhythmic folk dances, soulful dambura tunes, and the aroma of traditional sajji filled Lok Virsa, as artisans, musicians, and chefs showcased Balochistan’s rich heritage, crafts, cuisine, and hospitality at the tourism festival.

Balochistan’s colors shine bright at Lok Virsa festival in Islamabad

Mariam Ellahi

ISLAMABAD: The Green Balochistan Initiative, the province&rsquo;s key socio-economic development project, is nearing completion of its first phase and has entered its second phase, the project&#39;s coordinator said on Monday. Shehzad Jaffer told Pakistan TV Digital that the initiative, launched in 2022-23, targets the needs of local communities in areas such as water, roads, agriculture, and irrigation. District administrations, the Pakistan Army, and local Baloch citizens identified and prioritized issues, which were turned into detailed projects in 2023. Implementation began in 2024. &ldquo;Phase I is almost complete,&rdquo; Jaffer said. About 80% of the work is done, and the project is expected to be finished by June 2026. Phase I details and impact Phase I includes 74 projects worth Rs21.2 billion, focusing on agriculture, roads, water supply, and small dams. The roads component features 22 farm-to-market links that will connect remote settlements to Balochistan&rsquo;s highway network. The water component includes 33 schemes, ranging from filtration plants to piped water supply, across several districts. Small dams have also been built in areas like Kalat and Awaran to improve irrigation. Jaffer described the reconstruction of a 50-60 km section of the Washuk road, which turned a previously impassable route into a paved carriageway. Talking about its importance, especially in case of emergencies, he stated how &ldquo;it can save lives when patients need to reach medical care.&rdquo; The project coordinator also mentioned a village that had lacked proper water supply for nearly 40 years. &ldquo;We [installed] a solar-powered well, underground storage, and a filtration plant at the village&#39;s doorstep. People no longer [have to] walk long distances for unsafe water.&rdquo; Similarly, in Awaran, a cluster of 54 reverse osmosis plants is being installed to provide clean drinking water to remote areas. Green Balochistan Initiative: Focus on agriculture The Green Balochistan Initiative (GBI), which includes 13 agriculture projects, is central to the program. It aims to improve farm productivity and resilience. One major element is the development of the Kachhi Canal&rsquo;s command area, which is expected to irrigate around 100,000 acres when fully developed. The initiative also includes 333 solar-powered tubewells, submersible wells, drip irrigation systems, and plantations. &ldquo;GBI will create jobs in remote areas and improve Balochistan&rsquo;s agriculture,&rdquo; Jaffer said. Phase II launches with new projects The government has approved the second phase of the project, which includes 46 new projects worth Rs15.6 billion. This phase features 20 road projects, 18 water supply schemes, and eight irrigation schemes. Work on the second phase has already begun, the project coordinator confirmed. Monitoring and transparency measures To track progress, the government has set up an online dashboard, updated every two weeks. The dashboard is accessible to all stakeholders. &ldquo;If progress is not updated on time, an alert is sent to the responsible officer,&rdquo; Jaffer said. Monitoring teams also conduct field checks to ensure projects meet deadlines and quality standards. Jaffer stated that the initiative is community-driven. &ldquo;The people encouraged us to start and expand into the second phase. They see the impact on their daily lives already.&rdquo;

The Green Balochistan Initiative is nearing completion of its first phase and has entered its second phase.

Economy

Balochistan’s socio-economic development initiative enters its second phase, with 74 projects focused on agriculture, roads, water supply, and irrigation, with the aim of improving rural conditions in Pakistan's largest province. 

Articles tagged with "Balochistan"

Balochistan’s colors shine bright at Lok Virsa festival in Islamabad

Pakistan's Green Balochistan Initiative drives agricultural, infrastructure growth

Balochistan’s colors shine bright at Lok Virsa festival in Islamabad