ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce on Tuesday raised concerns over the proposed location of the Rs4.8 billion Expo Centre in Quetta, warning that constructing the facility at the current site could result in wastage of public funds due to security and accessibility issues.

The committee, chaired by Senator Anusha Rahman, recommended that the project be put on hold until the Ministry of Commerce engages with the Balochistan government to identify an alternative location.

Senators from Balochistan raised concerns over the suitability and security of the site proposed by the Balochistan government. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief also informed the committee that the location was far from the city and not secure enough to host trade exhibitions effectively.

The TDAP secretary told the committee that the minister for commerce had also written to the Balochistan government requesting an alternative site, but the request was declined.

The committee unanimously recommended that the project be put on hold, as it is not viable at the current location due to security concerns, and that the commerce ministry revisit the matter with the Balochistan chief minister and convey the Senate committee’s concerns to him.

The committee recommended a meeting between the commerce minister and CM Balochistan within the next week to identify an alternative site, and that the budget approval be kept pending until then.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2026