QUETTA, Feb 6: The Balochistan government has decided to request the federal government to implement a plan under which markets are proposed to be set up in the districts bordering Afghanistan and Iran “in order to discourage smuggling”.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Apex Committee presided over by Governor Zulfiqar Ali Magsi on Wednesday.

Commander of Southern Command Lt-Gen Mohammad Alam Khattak, Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad, Frontier Corps IG Maj-Gen Obaidullah Khattak, Home Secretary Captain (retd) Akbar Hussain Durrani, Police IG Tariq Omar Khatab and other senior officials attended the meeting.

“Illegal trade and smuggling have been hurting the national exchequer and the provincial economy but with the establishment of the border markets employment opportunities and tax will be generated,” the meeting observed.

The meeting observed that the crime rate in the province, especially incidents of kidnapping for ransom, had declined to some extent. It was informed that law-enforcement agencies had started targeted operations against anti-social elements involved in heinous crimes.

The departments concerned were directed to evolve a foolproof procedure for purchasing explosives, especially the material used in mining, so that it could not be used in terrorist acts.

The meeting took notice of attacks on trains running between Quetta and other parts of the country and decided that a foolproof security system would be evolved for trains passing through Bolan Pass.

It was told that only 88 people of Balochistan had gone missing and that efforts were afoot to trace them.

The meeting was informed that the provincial government had allocated Rs50 million for payment of stipend to militants who agreed to lay down their arms and Rs5m had already been released in this regard.

“Funds for payment of compensation to the heirs of victims of Quetta bomb blasts have been released and some of the injured are still under medical treatment,” it was told.

The meeting asked Levies Force and Balochistan Constabulary to improve their performance in maintenance of law and order. It resolved that all law-enforcement agencies would be integrated effectively to improve the law and order situation in the province.