Opposition urges compliance with BHC ruling over PSDP

CM Kamal says PSDP funds to be reviewed in accordance with judgment

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Saturday witnessed a lengthy debate on the provincial Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) as opposition parties demanded full implementation of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) judgment over the PSDP.

Deputy Speaker Sardar Babar Musakhael presided over the session.

Speaking on the floor of the house, Sanaullah Baloch of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) said, “Unfortunately 80 per cent of the development schemes included in the PSDP violate the BHC ruling. The schemes should have been prepared under Article 38 of the Constitution.”

Lamenting over the ‘flawed’ policies of the previous governments, he said even the former additional finance secretary had admitted that a majority of the schemes included in the programme did not follow the PSDP rules. He said the schemes must comply with the judgment of the honorable court.

Responding to the opposition’s reservations, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Aliyani said that the court had pointed out corrupt practices in 1,500 schemes. He told the house that the provincial government had directed the authorities concerned to review the annual PSDP under the BHC directives.

“A report presented in the last cabinet meeting revealed that many development schemes were excluded from the PSDP even after the completion of 70 to 80 per cent work on them… and that annoyed me as well,” Kamal said, adding that a final report was yet to be presented before the cabinet.

The final report on the PSDP would be presented in the coming cabinet session on September 26, he added.

Malik Sikandar Advocate, opposition member belonging to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), said that in order to review the PSDP funds, the house should constitute a committee comprising government and opposition members, citing that the petition over the PSDP was still pending in the BHC.

“Opposition parties will support the positive steps of the government because all members in the house want development in Balochistan,” he added.



Provincial Minister for Information Technology Sardar Abdul Rehman Kethran said since the previous provincial government had approved the PSDP funds, they should be held responsible for all the flaws. He added that after the general election, representatives of all areas had undergone a change in their attitude and all were willing to develop their constituencies.

Kethran lauded the efforts of law-enforcement agencies including the police, FC, Levies and Army for peace during Muharram across the province.

About corruption in the province, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind said they could share many precedents where public money was deliberately wasted due to flawed development schemes.

He said that despite the importance of the Shoran-Bhag pipeline, the project was not included in the provincial PSDP, Rind said, adding that “we are answerable before our people”.

He said opposition should be consulted before presenting a report on the PSDP.



Meanwhile, opposition MPA Nasrullah Zeeray tabled an adjournment motion over the killings of Levies personnel in Qilla Saifullah, and was unanimously approved for debate in the house.

Provincial Home Minister Saleem Khosa informed the house that investigation into the killings was underway and that the culprits would be apprehended and brought to justice soon.
The house offered fateha over the demise of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz as well as the martyred Levies personnel.