QUETTA: The Balochistan Cabinet has cancelled over 63,000 acres of land allotted to Pakistan Air Force in the coastal area of Lasbela district and restored divisional commissioner-rate system in the province.

The decisions in this regard were taken in the provincial cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani here on Saturday. Speaker Balochistan Assembly, Aslam Bhootani attended the meeting on the special invitation of the CM.

The cabinet discussed the land allotment to the PAF in detail and decided to cancel the memorandum of under standing (MOU) signed by the previous provincial government with the PAF. Under that MOU, the Jam-led coalition government had allotted around 63,000 acres of land in Hingol national park area for establishing a firing range.

Concerned authorities issued notices to the area's residents to vacate their ancestral lands but the elected representative of the area Mohammad Aslam Bhootani strongly opposed the decision of the then government.

'The MOU signed by the pervious government with the PAF about the land allotment stands cancelled,' a senior official of the provincial government told Dawn after the cabinet meeting. The cabinet has decided to use this land for agricultural purposes to benefit the local people of the area. It was also decided in the meeting that the provincial government would approach Islamabad for the construction of two proposed dams in the Hingol area that would irrigate over two lac acres of land.

The cabinet, while discussing the commissioner-rate system, decided to restore it in the province with immediate effect. It was also decided in the meeting that Chief Minister, Nawab Raisani would soon approach the federal government for restoring the magisterial system in Balochistan.

Official sources said that in view of the cabinet members' reservations about replacing Qazi courts with civil courts in Gwadar, Khuzdar, Panjgur, Nasirabad, Sibi and Turbat, the cabinet decided to restore Qazi courts in these cities immediately. 'Sharia laws are above all laws and there is no need of any discussion on the issue,' CM Raisani told the meeting.

It was also decided that the government would conduct audit of the district governments and the local councils. It also lifted the ban on transfer and posting of up to grade 17 officers immediately.

The provincial chief secretary, Nasir Mehmood Khosa, while briefing the meeting, informed that work was in progress for the exploration of oil and gas in Balochistan and in this connection NOCs were issued to various companies to operate in Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Musa Khail, Lasbela, Awaran and Washik areas.

'Digging of five wells in the Jhal Magsi area is in progress,' he informed the meeting and added that the digging of one well has been completed. He said work had already started on the project to supplying gas to Quetta and its surrounding areas from the Zarghoon gas field and it would be competed in the next six months.

The Chief Secretary, Nasir Mehmood Khosa informed the meeting that with the efforts of the provincial government, the newly constructed Gwadar port has become functional and since Dec 20 seven big ships carrying fertilizer from abroad anchored at the deep sea port while more ships were on their way to Gwadar. He said during the next four months the port will remain very busy as the federal government has deiced to unload nine lac metric tonnes of wheat at the port. He said another consignment of three lac metric tonnes wheat being imported from the USA will also be handled at Gwadar port.

He said with the dragging of the water channel, the Pisni fish harbor would also be functional very soon and that this measure would benefit some 3000 fishermen.