QUETTA, July 4: Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Ali Magsi has said the federation is not giving due rights to Balochistan and warned that such policies would make it difficult for the people of the province to adopt moderate ways of mounting protests.

Referring to a report of the Irrigation Department, he said Balochistan was not being given its due share of water from Indus river under the Irsa agreement.

He termed the situation deplorable and expressed disappointment over the attitude of the federation towards the problems of Balochistan.

“The federation is not paying serious attention to resolve issues faced by Balochistan,” the governor said.

He said that farmers of Balochistan needed adequate water supply for rice crop, but the province “is facing shortage by 3,565 cusecs as Khirthar canal is facing water shortage by 2,400 cusecs, Pat Feeder by 800 cusecs, Och Canal by 190 cusecs and Malothi Canal by 175 cusecs”.Mr Magsi said that a recent meeting between the Sindh chief minister and Balochistan’s ministers on the water issue could not bear fruit because Sindh did not release due water to Balochistan under the Irsa agreement.

He regretted that efforts of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Mir Changez Jamali also proved fruitless because the federation and the Sindh government did not respond positively. People might take to the streets against the federation and the Sindh government, he added He said the agriculture sector of Balochistan was on the edge of destruction because of shortage of irrigation water.

Mr Magsi said although the prime minister had held a meeting recently to review the Balochistan issues, the federation had not taken any steps to resolve grievances of people of the province.

He said the federation had not fulfilled its promise about recruitment of 3,000 local people in Levies in Balochistan and release of funds for cadet colleges in the province.He said the chief minister visited headquarters of relevant ministries in Islamabad several times to get remaining funds released for the ongoing projects of the National Highway Authority, but in vain.

“The president, prime minister and other stakeholders of the federal government should play due role to remove the sense of deprivation among people of Balochistan by taking practical steps to resolve their problems,” he said.