MPAs seek ban on alien trawlers in Balochistan waters
By Amanullah Kasi
QUETTA, April 4: The Balochistan assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution against exploitation of precious marine life by domestic and international trawlers operating within the coastal limits of the province. “Such exploitation is tantamount to the economic slaughter of local fisherfolk,” the lawmakers said in the resolution.
The session was chaired by Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar.
Two provincial ministers — Mir Asghar Ali Rind and Sher Jan Baloch – and six opposition members Kachkol Ali, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Nawab Aslam Raisani, Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal, Rehmat Baloch and Muhammad Akbar Mengal moved the joint resolution.
“In order to protect the interests of Balochistan, the government should impose restrictions on the entry of outside trawlers in Balochistan waters,” the resolution said.
Another resolution pertaining to occupation of tribal land by the army and air force in suburb of Quetta was deferred by the chair on the request of the mover (provincial Development Minister Maulana Abdul Rahim Bazai).
The majority members of the house rejected an adjournment motion of Mr Kachkol, Mr Zehri, Mr Rehmat and Sardar Azam Musakhel relating to prime minister’s distribution of cheques directly to district nazims bypassing the provincial government that infringed upon the autonomy of the province.
Movers pointed out that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had given cheques for Rs100 million to each district of the province during a recent visit to Quetta. These cheques were handed over to the provincial chief minister instead of the district nazims.
They claimed that this act posed no-trust in the provincial government besides was an exercise to control directly the districts from centre saying this action would also promote corruption, they alleged.
Refuting assertion of movers the parliamentary affairs and law minister Mir Abdur Rehman Jamali said that cheques were handed over to the chief minister Jam Yousuf and not to nazims wherein the cheques were in the names of district coordination officer of the districts instead of nazims.
He said Mr Aziz had neither bypassed the provincial government nor infringed upon the autonomy of the province and had only opposed the admitting of the motion.
Treasury bench member Shah Zaman Rind said that opposition members should have praised the transparent distribution of funds by Mr Aziz as the home districts of both the leader of the house and opposition leader got equal amount, ie, Rs100 million.
The speaker admitted the adjournment motion of Mr Rind with the consent of members pertaining to the water crisis in the province and debate would be held on April 13.
There was uproar in the house when Mir Jamali dismissed as “baseless and unfounded” Senator Sanaullah Baloch’s allegation that the government had stage-managed the bombing attacks on electricity pylons in the province.
The minister on a point of order during question hour said that attacks on electricity towers had caused Wapda a loss of Rs900 million and pointed out that Qesco had not been able to supply power to at 20 districts of the province.
He said that growers were facing a serious shortage of electricity in Kalat, Khuzdar and northern districts of the province and maintained that planting of landmines had prevented workers from repairing the damaged pylons.
Another minister Mir Asim Kurd informed the house that six water tankers had been sent to Kolpur as local inhabitants did not have drinking water owing to suspension of electricity. He also said that landlords had blocked the national highway at Lakpass and Kolpur to protest against suspension of power supply.
The speaker asked Mr Kurd and Nawab Raisani to plead with the protesters to end their blockade so that a Qesco team could repair the towers in Bolan and restore normal electricity supply to the consumers.
Opposition members Akhtar Lango, Majid Achakzai, Mr Musakhel and Rehmat Baloch blamed the government for the attacks on the electricity towers in Bolan district. Such acts are aimed at “creating suspicion in the minds of cultivators against the nationalist political groups” and “pit Baloch and Pukhtun peoples against each other”.
