Prime Minister Imran Khan and Balochistan’s Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Friday condemned the mosque attack in Quetta which killed at least 14 people.

In a statement, Pakistan’s military said soldiers were at the scene of the attack to assist civil authorities.

Earlier, Imran inaugurated the Azakhel dry port in Nowshera district.

The dry port has been completed at a cost of Rs510 million and is expected to boost trade and economic activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Addressing the ceremony, Imran congratulated Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on the completion of the project.

“Now let me tell you why no government has ever invested money on railways because it is the medium of travel for the poor, not the rich. Money was always poured into things and projects that will benefit the rich elite of the country,” Imran said.

He said the railways has been in loss for years; it rakes up losses worth billions every year and the hard-earned tax money that people pay is used to pay for those losses. He added that his government is trying to turn railways into a profitable organisation so that the common man can benefit from it.

“We will sell and re-purpose all the land that railways has in order to pay for the previous losses that the previous governments had raked up. We are trying to make Pakistan a welfare state. For that, we are trying to come up with policies that are people-friendly. In railways, we have started giving concessions on tickets to people above the age of 60. We are also developing stalls on railway platforms for women so that they are able to make money and provide for their families.”

The railways minister said the million Azakhel dry port project will promote business and trade in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

“I would like to suggest that we add the Peshawar-Jalalabad rail route to the ML-1 track. I assure the prime minister if that happens all smuggling will end in the country.”

Ahmad said the Peshawar-Jalalabad railway project would connect Pakistan with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics and turn the province into a hub of trade, business and investment.

“When it had started, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was solely based on a single railway track; other things were simple minor projects. Today, railways have been left behind because of negligence and CPEC has moved forward,” the minister said. Earlier, it was reported that nearly 170,000 youth will be given professional skill-based training in the first phase of the “Hunermand Jawan” programme.

Out of 170,000 youth 50,000 will be trained in areas of artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing and other advanced areas of technology, officials said.

Similarly, 50,000 youth will be given training at Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority in conventional areas including auto-mechanics, plumbing etc., whereas 20,000 youth will be given apprenticeship.

Around 75 smart class rooms will be set up to ensure easy access to skill and professional education besides provision of such training at 70 seminaries.

Five Centres of Excellence will also be established under the programme in collaboration with friendly countries.

Imran, who presided over a pre-launch meeting on Thursday, was informed that the programme is aimed at emancipation of youth through quality professional training. He described youth an asset of nation. He said the programme would help youth get better job opportunities and contribute to national development.

The programme will be carried out in next four years, costing Rs30 billion and will facilitate youth through easy loans, professional capacity-building, start-ups and internships.

On Thursday, President Arif Alvi hosted a high-level consultation with leading civil society representatives from across Pakistan to discuss how the government is expanding access to services for people with disabilities through the Ehsaas programme.

Tariq Butt / Agencies