QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution, urging the federal government to introduce the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) at the tehsil level in order to facilitate beneficiaries living in far-flung areas of the province.

The resolution jointly moved by Nasrullah Zeray and Syed Liaquat Agha noted that the allocation for the BISP, which initially was Rs65 billion, had now been enhanced to Rs118bn.

During the session held on Saturday with Deputy Speaker Mir Quddus Bizenjo in the chair, lawmakers pointed out that people receiving financial help from the BISP faced problems as they had to travel to the district headquarters to collect the amount. They said the beneficiaries should be provided the facility at the tehsil level.

The MPAs said that Waseela-i-Haq, Waseela-i-Rozgar, Waseela-i-Taleem and Waseela-i-Sehat of the BISP should be extended to Balochistan as had been done in other provinces.

Harsh words were exchanged after Sardar Abdur Rehman Khetran from opposition benches suggested that officials involved in malpractices in development projects should be suspended.

Ministers Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Dr Hamid Khan Achakzai and Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal opposed the suggestion, saying such action against the government employees concerned could be possible only after they were found guilty by some inquiry committee.

Information Minister Ziaratwal and Mr Khetran criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s call at the sit-in in Islamabad on Friday that PTI had changed its slogan of `go Nawaz go’ to`go Nizam go’.

They noted that the new slogan was against federation and federal and provincial governments and insulted the 18th Amendment. They said the agitation continuing in Islamabad for weeks was undemocratic and against the political spirit and it endangered the constitutional system.

The session was adjourned to Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, September 28th , 2014