Opp threatens govt with highway blockade

Opposition parties in the Balochistan Assembly have threatened the government they will block highways of the province on June 17 in protest against ignoring their constituencies in the upcoming budget.

They alleged the provincial government for including unelected people in the consultation process for the budget of the province which was due on Friday.

Addressing a press conference at the protest camp set up outside the assembly by the opposition parties, they claimed that their constituencies lacked basic facilities, including water, education, electricity, gas, health and education.

The opposition sit-in was attended by Opposition Leader in the assembly Advocate Malik Sikandar Khan, Balochistan National Party parliamentary leader Naseer Shahwani, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Nasrullah Zairay.

“The rights of people residing in the constituencies of the opposition are being violated because the development funds worth millions of rupees are being spent by the unelected people,” said the leader of the opposition in the Balochistan Assembly, accusing the provincial government of imposing a rule that was harsher than dictatorship.

Sikandar said the government had breached the democratic traditions in the last provincial budgets.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^h, 2021.