QUETTA, May 30: Balochistan’s Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wasay said on Tuesday he would boycott a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) scheduled for Wednesday. Maulana Wasay, who also holds the portfolio of planning and development department, told journalists he had taken the decision because the federal government “does not give any importance to projects proposed by Balochistan.

Over the past four years, he said, Balochistan had been denied due finances and several projects proposed by the provincial planning and development department had not been considered in NEC meetings.

He described as ‘humiliating’ the attitude of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz towards senior representatives of the provincial government during a recent meeting with a delegation led by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf and including the provincial finance minister.

Maulana Wasay said he and the finance minister had sought to discuss Balochistan’s financial and other problems with the prime minister but “after the brief meeting at Prime Minister’s House, Mr Aziz told the delegation after a photo session that they could go now.”

“The prime minister paid no heed to points we raised in the brief meeting,” Maulana Wasay said.

The financial managers of the federal government, he said, also ignored the formula suggested by the Balochistan government for distribution of national resources for the National Finance Commission award.

“Balochistan’s share in divisible pool under the proposed NFC award is just peanuts and the provincial government has rejected it since it does not meet the requirements of the province,” he said.

“In such a situation and in view of the attitude of the federal authorities and the prime minister, what can we expect from the National Economic Council meeting,” said Mr Wasay.