QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to take the PTI-led government into confidence against the previous PML-N government’s decision to extend the lease of Saindak copper-cum-gold project to a Chinese company by five years, while ignoring the provincial leadership.

BNP-Mengal’s Sanaullah Baloch along with the members of treasury benches had moved a resolution in this regard in the last session of the Balochistan Assembly. The house adopted the resolution with consensus and formed an 11-member committee to take up the Saindak project issue with Islamabad.

According to an official notification issued on Saturday, members of the committee included Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Arif Jan Muhammad Hasni, Information Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, opposition lawmaker Sanaullah Baloch of BNP-Mengal, Adviser to Chief Minister Abdul Khaliq Hazara (Hazara Democratic Party), Mir Asadullah Baloch (BNP-Awami), Mir Nasibullah Khan Marri, Minister for Health (PTI) Mir Gohram Bugti (Jamhori Watan Party), Asghar Khan Achakzai (Awami National Party), Akhtar Hussain Langove (BNP-M), Asghar Ali Tareen and Younis Aziz Zehri.

The committee had been authorised to take up with the federal government the matter related to handing over of Saindak-copper-cum-gold project to Balochistan in accordance with 18th Constitutional Amendment.

“The PML-N government-led by Main Nawaz Sharif leased the Saindak project to a Chinese company for another five years in October 2017 without taking the provincial leadership into confidence,” Sana Baloch said.

Both the federal government and the Chinese company shared 50 per cent revenue being generated through the project, she said, adding the federal government was releasing only 30pc share to the Baloch­istan government.

Members of Balochistan Assembly from the treasury and opposition benches asked the federal government to take the provincial government and leaders of other parties into confidence when taking a decision about Balochistan.

It was learnt that the cabinet of the PML-N-led coalition government, headed by Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, had endorsed the federal government decision of extending the lease of the project.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2018