QUETTA, June 6: An adjournment motion, filed by leader of opposition in the Balochistan Assembly, on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project was admitted for general debate.

The mover strongly pleaded that the project’s royalty should be paid to province as it passed through its territory.

Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar presided over the session on Tuesday.

Opposition leader Kachkol Ali referred to the Article 72 of the Constitution and said that the land belonged to the province and the provincial government should raise the issue of royalty with the federal government to protect the province’s interest.

He said that the aims of what he termed resistance movement outside the assembly and for political struggle inside were identical, adding that both were aimed to protect the province’s rights.

Finance Minister Syed Ehsan Shah did not oppose the motion and said that negotiations were in progress between Pakistan and Iran, adding that the provincial government would definitely raise the issue with the federal government after the project materialised.

The speaker admitted the motion for discussion with the consent of a broad spectrum of assembly members from both sides.

On the suggestion of Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf, the chair constituted a four-member committee, headed by Deputy Speaker Mir Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, to probe into the failure of a large number of doctors in tests conducted by the Balochistan Public Service Commission. Other committee members include provincial minister Shama Parveen Magsi, opposition members Kachkol and Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal.

Sher Jan Baloch, minister for the Gwadar Development Authority and Archives, backed opposition members.

During a two-hour debate on bulldozers, the finance minister assured the house that funds for fuel would be released biannually instead of quarterly basis, adding that the government was considering to give a private company bulldozers instead of giving them to government departments.

Opposition members said that 319,396 out of 561,600 bulldozer hours had not been utilised affecting farmers.

A privilege motion of Sardar Azam Musakhel was disposed when the minister for livestock Mir Abdul Qaddus Bizenjo assured the house that 210 cattle heads would be distributed equally among all districts.

The session was adjourned till Friday.