• JUI-F MPA Zabid Reki protests being stopped from travelling for Umrah
• CM Bugti seeks explanation from additional chief secretary

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday passed two key amendment bills aimed at strengthening the province’s legal and public service framework.

The session, chaired by Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, approved the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 Balochistan Amendment Bill after Provincial Minister Mir Saleem Khosa, on behalf of the home minister, presented the legislation before the house.

The bill was passed in accordance with the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

The assembly also passed the Balochistan Citizen Facilitation and Governance Bill 2026, which was also introduced by Mir Saleem Khosa on behalf of the home minister. The legislation was approved after consideration of the recommendations of the relevant standing committee.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan Cadet Colleges Amendment Bill 2026 was also presented before the house. However, instead of being passed, the bill was referred to the relevant standing committee for further consideration. JUI-F MPA protests During the session, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Balochistan Assembly member Mir Zabid Reki protested after he was stopped at the airport while travelling to Jeddah to perform Umrah.

Speaking on a point of order, Mr Reki said the incident amounted to a violation of his privilege. He claimed that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials had stopped him from travelling and told him that he had been declared a terrorist.

According to Mr Reki, FIA officials informed him that the additional chief secretary (home) had blocked his passport and placed his name on the Passport Control List (PCL) and Exit Control List (ECL).

He said he had attempted to contact Hamza Shafqat to seek an explanation, but the official did not answer his calls.

“I have always spoken about constitutional and democratic rights. Let me know what my crime is,” Mr Reki said.

He questioned why he had been stopped from travelling, saying that he had faced terrorists in Washuk but was now being labelled a terrorist in Quetta.

Mr Reki demanded that the government disclose whether he had any links with a proscribed organisation and, if there was evidence against him, present it before the assembly.

He also demanded that the concerned official be summoned to the house and asked to provide evidence supporting the allegations. Mr Reki said he would resign from his assembly seat if such evidence was produced.

During his protest, he threw his passport onto the floor of the assembly.

Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident involving Mr Reki and said the additional chief secretary had been summoned to his chamber for an explanation.

The chief minister, however, also criticised Mr Reki for throwing his Pakistani passport on the floor of the assembly.

MPA seeks funds

Former chief minister and MPA Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, speaking on a point of order, urged the provincial government to immediately release funds for language academies, warning that the suspension of funding was affecting academic and literary activities in the province.

He said office-bearers of the language academies had informed him that their funds had been stopped.

Dr Malik stressed that language and literary institutions also required government support and should not be overlooked in the allocation of provincial resources.

“Roads and drains continue to be built, but funds for the academies should also be released,” he said.

He urged the government to ensure regular funding for the academies so that their educational, literary and cultural activities could continue.

Opposition Leader in the Balochistan Assembly Mir Younus Aziz Zehri questioned the delay in forming an inquiry committee to investigate alleged irregularities in recruitment in the Forest Department.

Speaking on a point of order, Mr Zehri said Chief Minister Bugti had earlier announced an inquiry into allegations concerning the recruitment process. However, he said, the government later cancelled the posts in question.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026