QUETTA: The Balochistan cabinet has decided to make legislation for the protection of political, economic and social rights of the indigenous people of the port city of Gwadar. It has formed a committee to prepare legal framework and propose recommendations for the legislation in view of the reservations expressed by Baloch nationalists and some political parties about the possible demographic changes after the Gwadar port becomes fully functional.

The decision was made at a meeting of the provincial cabinet which was presided over by Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri on Tuesday.

Various other issues, including recruitment on over 25,000 vacant posts in provincial departments, also came under discussion in the meeting.

After the meeting, Balochistan government’s spokesperson Anwarul Haq Kakar told media personnel that the chief minister would head the committee which would have representation from all political parties in the provincial assembly.

He said the committee would consult all stake-holders, including political parties which have expressed their concerns about the rights of the local people of Gwadar. He said the committee could seek services of constitutional and other experts. For preparing the legal framework and suggesting recommendations, the committee would consider models of other places, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai, he added.

Answering a question, he said the committee would also take up the issue of the apprehension of Gwadar’s local people that the influx of people from all over the country in the port city would convert the majority of Baloch people into a minority.

Mr Kakar said the chief minister said during the meeting that the provincial government would remove all reservations of the local people of Gwadar and would take care of their interests in development projects being carried out under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The spokesperson said the provincial cabinet had approved the plan for filling 25,799 vacant jobs in provincial departments within 90 days. It has decided to make sure that the appointments should be made purely on merit.

Provincial Finance Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani briefed the cabinet on the vacant posts from Grade 1 to 17 in different provincial departments.

It has been decided that the posts from Grade 1 to 15 would be filled through departmental selection committees headed by the secretary of the department concerned. Appointments on technical posts in the education and health departments will be made through the National Testing Service (NTS).

The spokesperson said the secretaries who could complete the recruitment within the given timeframe would be given awards and action would be taken against those who failed to complete the task.

Chief Secretary Saifullah Chattah briefed the cabinet on the upcoming population and housing census. He said according to the verdict of the apex court and the decision of the Council of Common Interests the process for the census would begin on March 15.

He informed the cabinet that the chief commissioner, census, would visit Quetta next week and hold meetings with people. The cabinet has decided to arrange a briefing by the chief commissioner for members of the provincial assembly and representatives of political parties in a bid to remove their reservations on the census.

Published in Dawn January 11th, 2017