ISLAMABAD:
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Saturday asked parliamentarians and public representatives of Balochistan to come up with solutions to the socio-economic problems facing the province and its people.
Chairing the first meeting of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan in Parliament, Qaiser said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) emanates from Gilgit-Baltistan and culminates in Balochistan, thereby increasing the importance of the province.
“Balochistan and its issues are still a priority of the ruling government,” he said. “Parliament and public representatives are the best option to provide solutions to the socio-economic problems facing Balochistan and its people,” he said.
“Pakistan’s progress is linked to peace and progress in Balochistan,” Qaiser said, emphasizing the need for the committee to examine issues related to the transfer of real benefits of CPEC to the local people.
Committees in the parliamentary system across the world, Qaiser said, play a recommendatory role. Therefore, this commission will make all possible efforts to recommend the best possible solutions to the problems faced by Balochistan.
The speaker mentioned that the issuance of an order regarding immediate implementation of 6% employment quota in all federal departments, underlined the seriousness of Prime Minister Imran Khan in resolving the problems of Balochistan .
On the occasion, the speaker formed a four-member sub-committee, headed by Dr Fehmida Mirza, to develop comprehensive terms of reference (TOR) encompassing all issues related to Balochistan. It was also decided that a representative of the Balochistan National Party and Defense Minister Prevaiz Khattak would be invited to assist the subcommittee in drafting the terms of reference.
Vice President Qasim Khan Suri appreciated the President’s initiative to constitute the special committee.
He noted that the government was seriously considering resolving the problems facing peace and development in the province.
Mirza, the minister for inter-provincial coordination, told the committee that Balochistan issues had always been the top priority of parliamentarians.
She stressed that comprehensive terms of reference were essential to make the committee more effective. Khattak said the government had taken various measures to alleviate the grievances of the people of Balochistan.
Representing Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal, National Assembly lawmaker Agha Hassan Baloch asserted that Balochistan’s problems were becoming intense since 2006 and needed to be resolved immediately.
He called for reviewing the recommendations proposed after a meeting between the previous parliamentary committee, headed by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and the late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th2020.