QUETTA: The Balochistan assembly on Saturday passed six bills, three of which pertained to threefold increase in the salary, allowances and privileges of the chief minister, ministers and speaker, deputy speaker and members of the provincial assembly.

The session was presided over by Speaker Mir Jam Mohammad Jamali.

The six bills are: Balochistan Chief Minister and Ministers (Salary, Allowances and Privileges (amendment) Bill, 2014; Balochistan Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Salary, Allowances and Privileges) (amendment) Bill, 2014; Balochistan Assembly Members (Salary, Allowances and Privileges (amendment) Bill, 2014; Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University (amendment) Bill, 2014, Balochistan Family Torture and Protection Bill, 2014; and Balochistan Coastal Development Authority (amendment) Bill, 2014.

The bills were tabled by ministers Mir Sarfaraz Bugti and Mir Izar Hussain Khoso and Adviser to CM Sardar Reza Mohammad Barach.

Opposing the family torture and protection bill, Leader of Opposition Maulana Abdul Wasay said that family affairs in the province were run in accordance with Islamic and tribal traditions and, therefore, there was no need for such a bill.

The house adopted a resolution moved by Minister Mir Izar Khoso. It demanded of the provincial government to construct embankment to save agriculture lands of Dera Allahyar, Sohbatpur and Usta Mohammad areas from floodwaters. The minister said floods in 2010 and 2012 destroyed fertile lands and roads of Nasirabad and Jaffarabad districts. The resolution stressed upon the government to start reconstruction of the damaged roads in flood-affected areas.

The house adopted another resolution tabled by Yasmin Lehri that demanded of the federal government to cancel transfer of 12 officials of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) from Balochistan to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir.

The members who took part in the debate accused the PTCL management of transferring the officials in a bid to force them to accept the golden shake hand offered by the company.

The resolution also asked the government to direct the PTCL to reactivate the closed telephone exchanges in Kohlu, Barkhan and some other areas.

The opposition leader on a point of order demanded that electricity from Gadani Power Plant should be provided to Balochistan and other areas of the country.

Prince Ahmed Ali, Mir Mujibur Rehman, Mir Asim Kurd and Syed Liaquat Agha on points of order stressed that the proposed power plant would produce 6,600mw electricity and priority in distribution of its electricity should be given to Balochistan.

Some lawmakers were of the opinion that because Balochistan provided 5,000 acres of land for the project and coal for it would also be provided by the province the electricity generated by this project should be utilised for this province and not for Punjab. They said the first right on electricity generated by this project was of Lasbela district and then other Balochistan areas.

The speaker suggested that a monitoring committee should be formed to pinpoint the issues to develop consensus for making the project beneficial for all areas of the country.