QUETTA: The Balochis-tan Assembly has adopted resolutions calling upon the provincial government to implement the religious minorities’ quota in appointments to government departments, set up a girls college in Sanjavi, construct the Samungli Road and ensure strict implementation of the building code while allowing commercial plazas.

Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali chaired the assembly session here on Friday.

William John Barkat moved the resolution urging the government to ensure the implementation of the minorities’ quota in recruitment and members from both the treasury and opposition benches backed it. The resolution was adopted unanimously.

Concern expressed over alleged move to close Quetta school

A resolution, moved by opposition member Gul Muhammad Dumar, regarding establishment of a girls college in Sanjavi area of Ziarat was adopted by the house.A resolution was tabled by Samina Khan from the treasury benches regarding traffic congestion at the Samungli crossing.

She urged the government to redesign the portion of the road to overcome the problem.

A resolution by opposition member Husna Bano demanded strict implementation of the building code of the metropolitan corporation while allowing construction of plazas in Quetta. She said the provincial capital was located in a seismic zone and allowing construction of multi-storey plazas in violation of the building code would endanger the lives of people.

Responding to the points of order raised by Dr Shama Ishaq and Rahila Durrani, Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch assured the house that his government would not close the Pak Girls School in the main bazaar and the matter would be resolved to the satisfaction of the legislators.

Dispelling a perception of the members regarding alleged closure of the school, he said the issue was administrative and not political. He said a section of the school had been allotted to the education directorate, while the other portion would function as a school.

Dr Shama and Ms Durrani had expressed apprehensions that the school building worth a huge amount might be handed over to some influential persons who might run it on a commercial basis after building a high-rise plaza.They said a three-member committee had visited the place and met members of the civil society, local councillors and teaching staff who had expressed their reservations over establishment of an education directorate in a section of the school.

The Chief Minister’s Adviser on Education Sardar Reza Baraech conceded that a portion of the building had been given to the directorate because the education office was facing shortage of rooms. He also said that the school would not be closed.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2015

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