Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday announced Rs10 billion in assistance for Balochistan during a one-day official visit to Quetta, pledging “every possible” support for the province and calling for national unity and inter-provincial coordination to counter terrorism.


Her visit comes amid heightened security in Balochistan following a series of coordinated terrorist attacks across multiple locations on January 31. In response to the deteriorating law-and-order situation, the provincial government imposed Section 144 across Balochistan for one month.

During a meeting with Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, Maryam said that she was pleased that her first visit to the province as Punjab chief minister was to Quetta. She praised the people of Balochistan for their resilience and what she described as their deep attachment to Pakistan.

“We are with Balochistan,” CM Maryam said, stressing that terrorism could only be defeated through national unity. She added that the Punjab government would extend “every possible” support to help the province overcome its challenges and said that the government wanted to see peace, stability and prosperity in Balochistan.

CM Bugti welcomed Maryam to the province and described Punjab’s announcement of Rs10 billion in support for security forces as a “positive and commendable step.” He said the government and opposition in Balochistan were united on public welfare and emphasised that national unity was essential in the fight against terrorism.

According to a statement issued by the Balochistan government, Bugti received Maryam at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. “The two leaders discussed peace, public welfare and development in Balochistan, and signalled a joint commitment by the government and opposition to work together on the province’s priorities,” the statement said. It added that both chief ministers agreed that ending terrorism was only possible through national unity and mutual cooperation.

Earlier, Maryam was received at Quetta airport by Governor Balochistan Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, CM Bugti, members of the provincial cabinet and senior officials. After the reception, she attended a ceremony at the Frontier Corps headquarters before proceeding to the Governor House, where she met Governor Mandokhail.


Maryam was accompanied by senior Punjab ministers, including Marriyum Aurangzeb and Azma Bukhari, along with the chief secretary of the province. She is also scheduled to meet families affected by the recent terrorist attacks during the visit and express solidarity with them.


The visit follows the conclusion of “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan last week, during which security forces carried out coordinated, intelligence-driven operations against what the military described as Indian-sponsored terrorist elements.