QUETTA: Matters relating to a second wave of Covid-19 cases and ongoing development projects in their province were discussed during a meeting between the Balochistan chief minister and provincial ministers and legislators who called on him at the CM Secretariat on Friday.

According to a press release, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani informed the legislators about the extension of the Quetta-Karachi-Chaman highway and the under-construction section of M8 between Hoshab and Khuzdar.

Mr Alyani said the partners in the provincial coalition government were on the same page and its focus was on protecting the interests of the people and resources of Balochistan.

He said his government would never compromise on the rights of the people and lauded the legislators over their role in carrying out legislation work that would benefit the province.

Meanwhile, Mr Alyani has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan and federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar for allowing the extension of the Quetta-Karachi highway. Work on the project would start soon with a view to decreasing the possibility of accidents on the highway.

The 790-kilometre N25 highway connects Karachi with Quetta and provides access to Afghanistan through Chaman. The newly approved project includes construction of an additional carriageway and rehabilitation of the existing road to make it a four-lane road.

The Quetta-Karachi highway project would be constructed on build-operate-transfer basis, official sources said.

A meeting was told on Thursday that the commercial feasibility of the project would be ready by March 30, 2021 and bids were expected to be called by September next year.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2020