Home »Business and Economy » Pakistan » Raisani urges government to hand over Gwadar port’s control to Balochistan

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  • Nov 7th, 2018
  • Comments Off on Raisani urges government to hand over Gwadar port’s control to Balochistan
Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Haji Lashkari Raisani has expressed reservations over reported rollback of the 18th Constitutional Amendment and warned of stiff resistance from people of all provinces against such plot.

"Efforts are underway to reverse the 18th Amendment, which gives a little financial autonomy to provinces but these efforts and conspiracies will be resisted by people of all the provinces," he said, speaking at 'Meet the Press' program of Karachi Press Club (KPC), here on Tuesday. KPC President Ahmed Khan Malik and Secretary Maqsood Yousufi received him on his arrival. Lashkari expressed concern over growing interference in the political process and efforts to deprive people of their resources. He brushed aside the impression that provinces haven't improved their capacities to handle the devolved subjects.

"We are being told that after 18th Amendment, provinces have not built their capacity but I question how much capacity-building has been done by the Centre since creation of Pakistan," he said, asking who is responsible for the destruction of PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills, WAPDA and Pakistan Railways which remained under the federal control throughout the history.

He demanded federal government to give Gwadar Reko Diq project under provincial control. The BNP leader claimed that if Balochistan's resources are given to the people of that province, there would not be a single illiterate or unemployed person left there. He deplored that Baloch were being told these were national resources and could not be used for their development.

Questioning that if Balochistan's tribal chiefs were responsible for the backwardness of the province and turmoil, he asked, why thousands of people were killed in Karachi which is the country's largest city that also and facing the worst ever water crisis in its history despite being situated in a province where country's largest river Indus culminates.

Lashkari demanded the establishment and federal government to release hundreds of missing persons immediately. He urged that Gwadar port should be given to provincial control and small dams should be constructed in the province as it was facing worst drought of its history these days.

He requested Chief Justice of Pakistan to utilize rupees one billion deposited in the dam fund for constructing some small dams in Balochistan which is facing worst drought in its history.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2018


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