ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the need to ensure a trickle-down effect of his government’s developmental initiatives in the southwestern Balochistan province, Sharif’s office said on Sunday, amid a surge in militant attacks in the region.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but most impoverished province, has been the site of a long-running insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants attacking security forces, government officials and installations and people from other provinces who they see as “outsiders.”

The Pakistani government says it has launched several development schemes relating to infrastructure, health and education for some 15 million people of Balochistan, which is also home to deep seaport being built by China, gold, copper and coal mines, and has a long coast on the Arabian Sea.

Speaking to tribal elders during his visit to the provincial capital of Quetta, PM Sharif highlighted the series of developmental programs undertaken by his government for the prosperity of Balochistan and called on officials to ensure that their benefits reach the people of the southwestern Pakistani province.

“He praised the people of Balochistan for their historic role in safeguarding national unity and urged them to remain vigilant against foreign-backed subversion and sabotage orchestrated and sponsored by India,” Sharif’s office said.

“The jirga [council of tribal elders] concluded with a unanimous pledge from tribal elders to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Government of Pakistan and armed forces, reaffirming their commitment to the security, stability and development of Balochistan.”

Pakistan and India often accuse each other of supporting militancy. Islamabad blames India of backing the separatist insurgency in Balochistan as well as religiously motivated militant groups, like the Pakistani Taliban, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. India denies the allegations.

Sharif announced that Balochistan will receive 25 percent share from the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), which funds infrastructure, energy, education and other long-term projects, in the upcoming budget.

“I think that PSDP will be of Rs1,000 billion [in the next budget],” he told the gathering. “So, out of this [amount], a fund of approximately Rs250 billion is for Balochistan alone. That is, 25 percent of the total federal PSDP for Balochistan.”

Addressing the challenge of militancy in the province, Sharif called for engagement at the grassroots level to ensure that militants find no social space.

“This was crucial for the success of counter terrorism efforts and for the long-term peace and stability,” he said.

On the occasion, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who accompanied the prime minister to Balochistan, emphasized that Pakistan’s army was fully alert and prepared to respond decisively to any threat.

“Peace in Balochistan is non-negotiable and that the future of Pakistan is directly linked to a stable, prosperous Balochistan,” he was quoted as saying by Sharif’s office.

Sharif also visited the military’s Command and Staff College in Quetta and addressed student officers and faculty, reflecting his government’s commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s defense institutions amidst evolving regional and internal security dynamics.

“The prime minister highlighted the critical importance of professional excellence, operational readiness, and strategic foresight in the face of emerging and hybrid threats, especially in sensitive regions like Balochistan,” Sharif’s office said.

ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Sunday agreed to continue working to establish “mutual trust” between the two nations, Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement, amid recent improvement in ties between Kabul and Islamabad. 

Pakistan and Afghanistan this week agreed to upgrade diplomatic relations, with Islamabad announcing it would elevate its chargé d’affaires in Kabul to ambassadorial rank. Kabul said it would reciprocate the move. 

Ties between the two countries have been tense in recent years, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan’s Taliban administration of harboring militants involved in cross-border attacks, leading to a deportation drive against undocumented Afghan nationals. Kabul has criticized Pakistan’s deportation drive and denied its nationals are involved in crimes on Pakistani soil. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on the phone to discuss diplomatic relations between the two countries on Sunday. Muttaqi, according to Pakistan’s foreign office, informed Dar that Afghanistan has decided to reciprocate Islamabad’s gesture to upgrade diplomatic relations to the ambassador level, terming it a “very positive development.”

“Both leaders also reviewed the implementation of decisions taken during DPM/FM’s visit to Kabul on 19 April 2025 and vowed to continue working together to establish mutual trust between the two brotherly nations,” the Pakistani foreign office said. 

Efforts to ease tensions between the two countries also gained momentum in recent months. During a trilateral meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing in May, Pakistan and Afghanistan had announced plans to exchange ambassadors.

Afghan authorities said this week Muttaqi is due to visit Pakistan “in the coming days.”

The two officials also spoke about the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project. Dar spoke to his Uzbek counterpart on Saturday to discuss the UAP, including the framework agreement and its signing mechanism. 

“Emphasizing the importance of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project for regional connectivity, both leaders agreed to work closely for an early finalization of the framework agreement,” the foreign office said. 

The UAP railway is a trilateral initiative aimed at enhancing regional connectivity by linking Central Asia with Pakistan’s southern ports of Gwadar and Karachi through Afghanistan.

Envisioned in 2021, the project is expected to improve trade access for landlocked countries and bolster economic integration in the region.