QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has warned that `wrong’ attitude of the federal government towards the province could harm the integrity of the country.

Talking to a delegation of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) led by its Secretary General Sarmad Ali, which called on him here on Saturday, the chief minister said that a strong Balochistan would make the federation stronger as prosperous provinces could help the federation in all aspects.

Mr Bizenjo said he had made all efforts to make the government machinery function to provide relief to the people of Balochistan. Poverty had reached alarming levels but the federal government had yet show seriousness towards real issues of the province.

He said the federal government had made tall claims regarding the development of Balochistan, but yet the ‘heart’ of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was deprived of clean drinking water, depicting a hopeless picture.

The chief minister said that the federal government had pledged to bear 50 per cent expenses for resolving Gwadar’s water crisis, but it failed to keep its promise and the provincial government with its limited resources had commenced installing a desalination plant to provide clean drinking water in the port city.

He said the province had presented a Rs61 billion deficit budget despite facing serious financial crisis.

Talking about the federal government’s lavish allocation of fund in Punjab, Mr Bizenjo said unfortunately an ordinary Baloch held responsible the whole of Punjab for stealing his rights.

He said his province would only be able to receive its rights from the federal government if it got a better representation in the National Assembly.

The chief minister said the print and electronic should support the people of Balochistan and help achieve their rights.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2018