QUETTA, Jan 10: The Balochistan cabinet revoked on Saturday allotment of 63,000 acres of land to the Pakistan Air Force in coastal areas of Lasbela district.

The cabinet, which met with Chief Minister Aslam Raisani in the chair, decided to use the land for agriculture purposes.

The previous provincial government had signed a memorandum of understanding for allotment of the land in Hingol national park area for setting up a firing range by the PAF.

The area people were issued notices to vacate the land, but Balochistan Assembly Speaker Aslam Bhootani, who has been elected from the area, opposed the decision.

“The MoU stands cancelled,” a senior provincial government official told Dawn.

The cabinet decided to approach the federal government for construction of two dams in Hingol area that would irrigate over 200,000 acres of land.

The meeting decided to restore the system of commissioners with immediate effect and urged the chief minister to approach the federal government for reviving magistracies in the province.

The cabinet decided to restore Qazi courts in Gwadar, Khuzdar, Panjgur, Nasirabad, Sibi and Turbat after some cabinet members had expressed reservations about replacing them with civil courts. “Sharia laws are above all laws and there is no need for a discussion on the issue,” the chief minister told the meeting.

The meeting decided that the government would get audit of district governments and local councils conducted and lifted a ban on transfers and postings of officers of grade 17 and below.

The chief secretary informed the cabinet that NOCs had been issued to various companies for oil and gas exploration in Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Musakhail, Lasbela, Awaran and Washik and work was in progress.

“Digging of five wells in Jhal Magsi is in progress,” he said, adding that work on one well had been completed.

He said work had been started on a project to supply gas to Quetta and its adjoining areas from Zarghoon gas field which would be competed in six months.

The chief secretary said that with the dredging of channels, the Pasni fish harbour would become functional very soon, benefiting around 3,000 fishermen.

He informed the meeting that the Gwadar port had become functional and seven big ships carrying fertiliser had anchored at the port since Dec 20 while more ships would arrive soon.

He said the port would remain busy during the next four months because the federal government had decided to unload 900,000 metric tons of wheat at the port, in addition to 300,000 metric tons of wheat from the US.

Mr Bhootani attended the meeting on a special invitation.