Balochistan Assembly. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE
Addressing a news conference here in Quetta, Opposition Leader Malik Sikandar Advocate, Malik Naseer Shahwani and Sanaullah Baloch slammed the provincial government and its policies.
They said the opposition leaders have been raising public issues on multiple forums but the government is not paying attention to them nor did it address them on the assembly floor, adding that they are protesting to “wake the government up from its slumber.”
“The treasury members called the assembly proceedings but didn’t even bother to fill house’s quorum which also lifted the lid from government’s claim of ‘sincerity’ towards public issues,” said Malik Sikandar.
“We have decided to stage a sit-in outside the Balochistan Chief Minister House from 11am to 1pm against the government’s negligence and corruption,” he added.
Talking about the deadly coronavirus and its potential spread in the country, Sikandar alleged that counterfeit medicines worth Rs227 million were being sold to the masses, putting their lives at risk.
“The world is attempting to curb the virus and the World Health Organisation has declared emergency in the wake of the situation, in Balochistan, however, the people are being provided counterfeit medicines,” he maintained, vowing to not sit silent against irregularities in the province.
Meanwhile, parliamentary leader of Balochistan National Party- Mengal Malik Nasir Shahwani said, inflation, unemployment and law and order were deteriorating but the provincial government was not willing to answer public questions.
“The ministers, who were avoiding answering opposition’s concerns, did not even attend the assembly proceedings,” Shahwani said.
Talking about the plight of Pakistani citizens stranded at Pak-Iran border, Balochistan National Party leader Sanaullah Baloch said people were compelled to live in appalling conditions due to the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran as provincial government had failed to provide them with any assistance in this time of difficulty.
He said the government could not provide food and other facilities to people stuck in Taftan.
“The government should answer as to what measures are being taken to control the virus. Treasury members should unveil details if they have established any laboratory to test suspected coronavirus cases,” Baloch said.
He also claimed that the government had spent more than Rs300 million on chief minister’s private jet.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2020.
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