The Balochistan Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on Saturday demanding the federal government address the issue of low gas pressure and provide gas to districts that were deprived of the resource for the past six decades.
During the session, which was held after a two-day break with Deputy Speaker Matiullah Agha in the chair, the government was severely criticised for a lack of interest shown by provincial ministers as well as Leader of the House Aslam Raisani, who was out of the provincial capital for the last two months.
Noticing the lack of quorum, some of the members told the chairman that the chief minister and provincial ministers should be made bound to attend assembly sessions.
The proceedings went uninterrupted before PPP minister Tahir Mehmood pointed out the lack of quorum and the session had to be adjourned for 30 minutes but it could not be completed even after the break.
However, the deputy speaker ignored the lack of quorum to save the government from complete embarrassment.
“The chief minister and other ministers should be bound to attend the sessions of the assembly,” Irrigation Minister Sardar Aslam Bizenjo said.
PML-Q Shiekh Jafar Khan Mandokhel said instead of sitting in Gwadar, the chief minister should sit in Quetta to resolve the problems of the people.
The House later adopted an adjournment motion by Mandokhel after two hours of debate on the long hours of power load shedding.
The House also held a debate on another adjournment motion moved by Mandokhel on the low gas pressure that had been approved for debate on January 26.
Initiating the debate, the mover said it was ironic that most districts of the province were deprived of natural gas when the province was providing natural gas to entire country.
He said though natural gas was available to the people of Quetta, Kalat, Mastung, Pishin and some other towns of Balochistan but people in these areas were facing serious difficulties because of suspension of gas and its low pressure.
He said the government should ensure that the gas pipelines were not destroyed.
Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd said Balochistan was fed up of the discriminatory attitude of the federal government and bureaucracy.
Minister for Sports and Culture Shahnwaz Marri criticised the federal government, saying that injustice were the root cause of deteriorating law and order in the province.
Minister for Labour Maulvi Sarwar Musa Khel of the JUI-F blamed the provincial government for its poor performance during the past four years.
Bizenjo said the Balochistan Assembly had always supported the president and prime minister but the PPP government had failed to address the issues of province.
The adjournment was converted into a resolution and unanimously passed when it was put before the House for voting.
