QUETTA: The coalition government and the opposition in Balochistan have decided to take up long-standing issues with Islamabad which include delay in announcement of the 8th National Finance Commission (NFC) award, western route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other problems facing the province .

An hours-long joint meeting was held on Thursday with Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani in the chair. Provincial ministers, Sardar Muhammad Saleh Bhootani, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi and ANP’s Asghar Achakzai represented the coalition partners while the opposition team, led by Sanaullah of the BNP-M, included Advocate Malik Sikandar Khan of JUI-F and Nasrullah Khan Zerey besides other opposition members.

The meeting observed that the previous government had failed in protecting the interests of the province in CPEC projects, including the implementation of western route, setting up of industrial zones and other matters. The meeting resolved to approach the federal government to induct the Balochistan’s point of view while revisiting the process of CPEC projects. Terming the CPEC projects important for the province’s development, participants of the meeting decided to evolve a joint stance on the implementation of CPEC projects.

CM says his government will take opposition parties into confidence on all issues

Meanwhile, opposition members expressed their reservations over the agreements signed by the former government in regard to Saindak and the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), and also showed their dismay over the Public Sector Development Programme 2018-19 (PSDP). They demanded revisiting of the PPL accord and the PSDP.

Voicing concern over delay in the announcement of NFC award, the participants affirmed to approach the federal government soon as the province was facing serious financial crisis. The government and the opposition stated that they were on the same page on important issues.

Chief Minister Alyani said that the coalition government would take opposition parties into confidence and will give importance to their views and suggestions on all matters.

He said that it was their joint responsibility to solve the problems being faced by the province. “It is good for the province that opposition parties also feel their responsibility for resolving the issues,” Jam Kamal said, adding that the government would welcome positive suggestions from the opposition.

Referring to opposition parties’ reservations on land issues, Mr Alyani said that a comprehensive land policy would be evolved in view of opposition’s suggestions to ensure protection of land belonging to local tribes, common men and the government. Res­ervations of the opposition on CPEC, Saindak and PPL would also be removed, he added.

The de-limitation of union councils, he said, would be conducted according to the population ratio for next local bodies elections and in light of opposition’s suggestions to ensure that injustice was not done with any constituency.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2018