Caretaker Balochistan Chief Minister Alauddin Marri gestures during a meeting with interim Punjab Chief Minister Hasan Askari at the CM House, Quetta. PHOTO: EXPRESS
QUETTA: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Hasan Askari met interim Balochistan Chief Minister Alauddin Marri and offered his condolences on the martyrdom of 150 people, including BAP candidate Siraj Raisani, in the Mastung massacre on July 13. They met at the Chief Minister House in Quetta on Saturday.
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Both the chief ministers condemned the recent attacks on election rallies in Balochistan on Siraj and in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on ANP leader Haroon Bilour. On July 10, Bilour was killed in a suicide attack on his corner meeting in Peshawar which claimed his life and that of 19 others.
Marri and Askari said, “Enemies of the country are attempting to disturb elections by stoking violence, but our law enforcement agencies have been working tirelessly to prevent terrorist attacks and provide a peaceful environment to the people of the country for general elections.”
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They vowed to lead their provinces towards free and fair elections, while discussing the law and order situation and election preparations. They said political parties contesting general elections would be provided equal opportunities of campaigning and their grievances over electoral process were being addressed.
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“Conducting impartial elections is the priority of the caretaker governments in the country so people should cast their votes without paying heed to false rumours regarding elections,” said Marri and Askari.
Marri also informed Askari about the previous Punjab government’s pledge to construct a cardiac hospital in Balochistan which was the need of the hour.
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Askari assured Marri that he would direct the Punjab Health Department to follow the instructions announced by the previous government for setting up a cardiac hospital in Balochistan.
The Punjab chief minister said that students from Balochistan would be allowed to study in Punjab to better utilise their skills in their province after completing their education.
In the beginning of July, then Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif had instructed construction of an institute of cardiology in Quetta, Balochistan on a 25-acre land adjacent to Bolan Medical College at a cost of Rs2 billion. Currently, Balochistan has no cardiac hospital.
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