Long in coming: Balochistan expects full cabinet before Eid

Speaker Jamali says cabinet will comprise 15 ministers.


Mohammad Zafar October 06, 2013
Speaker Balochistan Assembly Jan Mohammad Jamali administering oath to his deputy Abdul Qudoos Bazinjo. PHOTO: APP

QUETTA:


Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali on Friday said that the provincial cabinet would be complete before Eidul Azha and will comprise 15 ministers and 15 standing committees – in line with the 18th Constitutional Amendment.


He said this while addressing a joint session of legislators from Punjab and Balochistan Assembly, organised under Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) in Quetta.

He said that Public Accounts Committee and House Committee would also be formed separately.

Citing demographic differences with other provinces, the speaker said Balochistan was different and “had to be reached with a different approach.

“The population of a tehsil in Punjab is around 5,000, which is equal to the population of an entire district in Balochistan,” he stated.

Jamali was of the view that Balochistan was only confronted with political issues.



“All issues in Balochistan are purely political and economic and the biased picture painted about the province is false,” he said, adding that Balochistan’s importance could not be ignored.

The speaker was optimistic that members of the Punjab Assembly, after meeting public representatives from the province, will now be able to better comprehend the prevailing situation in Balochistan.

Punjab Assembly lawmaker Shuja Khanzada said they had called on the Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and invited him to visit the Punjab Assembly.

“We have invited lawmakers from Balochistan Assembly and the chief minister to Punjab Assembly to evaluate the situation,” Khanzada said, adding that frequent meetings between lawmakers would encourage better understanding between public representatives.

The speaker termed the session a ‘positive move’ and stressed upon the need for continuing the practice. He said Punjab being the largest province of the country, would urge the Centre to solve Balochistan’s issues.

Jamali said the purpose of these meetings was to remove reservations of the people of Balochistan and Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2013.

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