ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has said his province remains under­privileged because benefits of the 18th Amendment are not being passed on to it.

“Article 172(3) empowers the provinces to have a joint and equal ownership and control over natural resources. If it is followed in its true sense by amending relevant laws, Balochistan will overcome its historical deprivation in develop­ment,” he said in an address to the concluding session of a two-day Balochistan Development Forum here on Tuesday.

Also read: Development of Balochistan is close to my heart: PM Nawaz

The main objective of the forum organised by the Chief Minister’s Policy Reform Unit was to share development priorities of the Balochistan government aimed at addressing critical sectors of economy and society.

Dr Malik said Balochistan had the potential to provide resources for development of the rest of the country, but it had to be financially empowered. The province, he added, needed a three-pronged strategy — institutional development, infrastructure development and human resource development.

“We will have institutional reform in Balochistan by restructuring the Public Services Commission to ensure merit-based recruitment through credible and transparent processes. This will ensure efficient governance in the province,” he said.

The chief minister urged politicians and bureaucrats of Balochistan to make a commitment to eliminating poverty from the province. “Reforms and changes in laws and rules of business are a necessary step to fully deliver the benefits of fiscal devolution under the 18th Amendment,” he added.

Dr Malik urged the international community to share their technical knowledge and expertise, besides investment in the province’s social sectors through coordinated efforts.

Addressing the forum, Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, said each district should have a policy planning unit on the model developed by the CM Policy Reform Unit with the technical assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He supported the idea of establishing the Balochistan Higher Education Authority to assess education needs and address them at local levels.

Speakers, including technical experts, highlighted various aspects of the development agenda for Balochistan and noted that the 18th Amendment started addressing the historical wrongs committed against the federating units.

They said the law and order situation in Balochistan was a by-product of economic conditions in the province.

Senator Hasil Bizenjo, Gwadar Development Authority Chairman Dr Sajjad Baloch, UNDP’s Assistant Country Director Amir Goraya and World Bank’s Country Representative Rached ben Masoud also addressed the forum.

Published in Dawn January 21st , 2015

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