Cabinet: Session No compromise on law and order, says Zehri

Balochistan CM says development also tops priority

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri has said that establishing peace and good governance in Balochistan are the top-most priorities of his government and no compromise would be made in this regard.

Speaking during the first session of the Balochistan cabinet here on Wednesday, he said that the current cabinet is a continuation of the former one as only the chief minister had changed. He added that the coalition government would remain in place for the next two and a half years and it would run with its coalition partners with the foremost priority being to settle issues, if any, with due consultation. He said that good governance was only possible through a total consensus of the political government and the bureaucracy, adding that if all institutions worked within their limits, most issues could be resolved.

CM Zehri said that no compromise would be made on law and order and development works would also be continued at full pace. He added that the bureaucracy was also bound to follow and execute all the decisions of the cabinet.

Chief Secretary Balochistan Saifullah Chattha briefed the cabinet about the approved draft of the provincial labour policy which would be presented in Balochistan assembly for final debate.

He said that all issues concerning labour, including that of women, have been incorporated in the draft bill and the problems of agriculture workers and fishermen are also part of the labour draft bill.

The cabinet also cancelled the Child Smoking Ordinance 1959 which was in conflict with the Smoking Ordinance of 2002. The cabinet also declared the Anti-smoking Act 1940 as null and void and decided to present the Anti-smoking Bill 2014.

Media briefing

The spokesperson for the Balochistan government Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has said that development work on 2,250 projects is underway and acts of terrorism have considerably been reduced in the province. He was addressing a media briefing on Wednesday following the first meeting of the Balochistan cabinet chaired by CM Zehri.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2016.