QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to construct a new building of the Balochistan Assembly, demolishing the existing ‘Balochi Gidaan’ model structure which was raised 37 years ago at Zarghoon Road.

While the Balochistan government is intent on demolishing the Balochi Gidaan-style provincial assembly building, many opposition members have rejected the idea of a new building.

They said that in a province where 2.9 million children are out of school, spending a huge amount of over Rs5 billion to demolish a mere 37-year-old building is not an efficient usage of public money.

The concept of Balochi Gidaan-style building was presented by late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti after Balochistan was granted the status of a province in 1970. He had laid the foundation stone of the assembly building in 1973 as the governor of Balochistan. The building was completed in 15 years on April 28, 1987, and it was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo.

Balochistan Assembly Speaker retired Capta­­in Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, while confirming the media reports, said the new building would be completed within a year, adding that a Chinese firm had assured them to complete the construction work next year.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024