Balochistan boycotts planning coordination meeting

MPAs stage walk-out in solidarity with representatives in Islamabad.

QUETTA:

Balochistan boycotted the meeting of the Annual Planning Coordination Committee in Islamabad on Friday to protest what they view as discriminatory treatment towards the province, as legislators in the Balochistan Assembly voiced their solidarity with their province’s delegation to the meeting.

Friday’s session in the provincial legislature was dominated by protests against what Quetta views as Islamabad’s indifference and discriminatory attitude. Provincial assembly members (MPAs) were quick to point out, for instance, that many of the funds allocated to the province had yet to be disbursed.

The target of most legislators’ ire was the federal planning commission and the federal ministry of finance. Industries minister Ehsan Shah gave some figures in his speech that railed against Islamabad.

“Of the Rs29 billion allocated under the federal development budget, only Rs7 billion have been released so far,” said Shah. “Of the Rs10 billion that were meant to be given to the National Highway Authority for projects to connect Gwadar to Punjab and Sindh, only Rs2.5 billion have been released to the NHA.”

Earlier in the day, Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd walked out of the Annual Planning Coordination Committee in Islamabad in protest against the federal government’s reduction in funds for Balochistan. He was joined in that walkout by Balochistan Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wasey.

Balochistan legislators have been disappointed thus far with the implementation of the 18th amendment to the constitution, which was meant to enhance their powers, and the 7th National Finance Commission award, which was meant to offer financial autonomy to the provinces.

However, some legislators felt that the provincial government itself had not done enough to enhance its capacity to spend development funds and to do so transparently.

Jaffar Mandokhel of PML-Q, for instance, gave a speech alleging massive corruption in the provincial Planning and Development Department. He said that the province had been allocated Rs70 billion but there was no transparency about where the money went.

“I asked the finance department about the funds it informed me that 100 per cent funds of provincial development budget had been released [by the federal government],” said Mandokhel. “I asked questions on the floor of the house [about the money] but mostly concerned ministers were not present or sometimes do not submit their answers.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2011.