Former Balochistan CM finds fault with Gwadar port deal

Dr Malik Baloch says NP will continue to fight for Balochistan rights under 18th Amendment

QUETTA: Former Balochistan chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has expressed concern about the Gwadar Port agreement and described the treaty as against the interest of the people of Balchistan.

“The new agreement does not protect the interest of people of Gwadar. The formula was unveiled by a dictator [General Pervez Musharraf] who has been sentenced to death in the high treason case,” Malik, who belong to National Party (NP) said on Wednesday while addressing the party workers in Gwadar

“Gwadar is a gateway of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) but the local population of the port city fears for future.” CPEC is a multi-billion dollar network of roads and rails that will connect China’s western region with the Arabian sea through Gwadar port.

He also criticized the government’s revenue generating a formula for the Gwadar Port.

The former CM said the 18th amendment constitutional amendment ensures rights of small provinces and the NP would never step back from defending the amendment.

“The NP has been fostering scientific politics in Balochistan in order to make people aware of their rights as fake promises and slogans cannot yield any outcome,” he said.

Taking a dig at the federal government for “suppressing freedom of speech in the country”, the former CM said Pakistan is witnessing a civil martial-law like the situation where democratic powers are being paralysed and dissenting voice are being silenced,

“Inflation, uncertainty and foreign debts have risked the future of our country.”

He criticized policies of the provincial government of Balochistan and said instead of utilizing funds on public development, the government is returning the provincial money to the federal government.

Mazhar Laghari of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) also spoke on the occasion said the organization has been conducting workshops for political workers in order to foster policymaking culture among political parties.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2019.