QUETTA – A number of provincial ministers belonging to different political parties in a point of order in the assembly session strongly protested the restoring of anti-smuggling powers of Frontier Corps Balochistan and said that the people living close to the borders had been deprived of their bread and butter.
The session was presided by Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani on Saturday. Parliamentary leader of Balochistan National Party (Awami) and Agriculture Minister Mir Asad Baloch criticised the federal government for restoring the powers of Frontier Corps Balochistan under Custom Act in the province. He said that the government decision had made the lives of people residing at borders of Iran and Afghanistan miserable.
He said that a large number of people living at border areas and were dependent on food items smuggled in from Iran and Afghanistan. He said that these food items were stopped by FC. He demanded of the federal government to review its decision and withdraw F.C powers under Custom Act. Other ministers including, Zahoor Ahmad Buledi and Abdul Khaliq Achakzai said that this step was tantamount to snatching bread from poor people.
On another point of order, Minister for Revenue Engineer Zamrak Khan said that Balochistan was receiving only 120 MMCFT gas per day against its share 145 and the rest of gas was being provided to Karachi. He also drew the attention of house towards incomplete construction work on Kalat Quetta and Chaman highways, saying despite release of required funds NHA did not started construction work on the highways.
He said that Balochistan government should summon NHA. Provincial ministers Asad Baloch, Zahoor Buledi, Sardar Aslam Bezinjo, Ali Madad Jattak and Dr Fouzia Marri lauded the efforts of Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani in getting approval of more than Rs 28 billion in the Central Development Working Party for different development schemes and thanked the federal government.
However the JUI minister Ghulam Sarwar, on a point of order condemned the approval of schemes by CDWP for Balochistan and added that these schemes were for the benefit of few.
