10,082 joined army from Balochistan in three years

Waqar Ahmed

A total of 10,082 youth from Balochistan have joined the Pakistan Army as officers and soldiers during the last three years, authoritative sources have revealed.

The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had allotted 10,000 vacancies for the youth of Balochistan in the army during the years 2009-2011 and announced an additional 5,000 vacancies for 2012.

“We are happy to note that there is a tremendous response to the army’s recruitment drive in Balochistan,” said the sources. “The enthusiasm among the youth of the province to join the armed forces, especially the army, is unambiguous.” The sources asserted that the army chief was taking a keen interest in the affairs of the province so as to play his part in improving the economic standing of the Baloch.

Highlighting the educational projects undertaken by the military in Balochistan in the last five years, the sources counted a college in Sui, Balochistan Public School in Sui, Quetta Institute of Medical Sciences (QIMS), GIT (Gwadar Institute of Technology), Chamalang Beneficiary Education Programme (CBEP), BITE (Balochistan Institute of Technical Education) and Army Institute of Mineralogy (AIM). They said these institutes had had been launched to promote education and enlighten the youth of the province.
They said the military had also constructed a 50-bed hospital in Sui, provided assistance to the Ministry of Education, Balochistan, carried out relief activities during floods and arranged free medical camps for the local people.

Moreover, the army was also involved in development activities at Chamalang, Musa Khel and Dukki coalmines, Kassa Hill marble project and dates farming at Panjgur. “The military will continue to actively take part in development projects in the province and in providing tangible assistance in different sectors,” said the sources. “All projects, especially in the educational sector, are invaluable in raising the profile of people of the province.” They added that coherent insight, candid appraisal of the complex situation, formulation and implementation of constructive policies by the military was now changing the situation on the ground.