QUETTA: The provincial assembly on Saturday unanimously approved the Balochistan Daanish Schools and Centres of Excellence Authority Bill, 2023, a month after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated a model school in the Sohbatpur city of Nasirabad division.

Balochistan Education Minister Nasibullah Marri presented the bill in the assembly session, which was presided over by Acting Speaker Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail.

Under the authority, Daanish schools would be established across the province as announced by the prime minister.

The schools’ authority will be chaired by Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, whereas the education minister will be its vice chairman.

Other members will include the provincial chief secretary, a senior member of the revenue board, additional chief secretary planning and development, secretary education, secretary finance, additional secretary of federal education and professional training ministry and additional secretaries of finance and planning divisions. Three private members will also be part of the authority.

In reply to a question from Opposition Leader Malik Sikander Khan, Education Minister Marri said the federal government would bear 80 per cent expenditure of the schools, whereas the provincial government would bear the remaining 20pc.

He said the provincial government would arrange land for the schools, which would be set up at divisional level.

The parliamentary leader of ANP, Asghar Khan Achakzai, spoke about the situation in Harnai and said the authorities concerned were not implementing the report prepared on the last year’s incident in which militants attacked a checkpoint and martyred two soldiers.

He said more checkpoints had been established in the area, compounding the problems for locals. He said the government should increase the security of trucks carrying coal.

The provincial minister for home and tribal affairs, Mir Ziaullah Langove, said the government was taking all possible steps to protect the life and property of people.

Referring to the law and order situation in Kharan, the minister said he would ask the inspector general of the police to deploy one platoon of Balochistan Constabulary in the area.

He regretted that people blamed the government for the worsening law and order situation but when the government initiated action against the elements behind such incidents, people came out on roads.

He insisted that terrorism could only be eradicated with the cooperation of people and government with the help of security institutions.

Sana Baloch of BNP-Mengal said Balochistan was facing an acute shortage of teachers, due to which 3,000 schools were closed in the province. “We are facing a shortage of 12,000 teachers across the province,” Mr Baloch said, adding that the government should ensure recruitment of teachers within two months.”

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2023