Deprived province: ‘Flawed policy main obstacle in development’

Scholars urge more cooperation between federal and Balochistan govt.

Scholars on Thursday emphasised that development activities and political participation were to go hand in hand if economic progress was sought in Balochistan.

Speaking at a conference on “Balochistan: Enhancing the Pace of Development and Prosperity” they stressed that the main obstacle to development has been flawed official policies which pursue programmes and plans without involving the public.

Inaugurating the conference, organised by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed explained the standing committee on defence, of which he is the head, had initiated the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package.

Secretary Ministry of Communications and former chief secretary of Balochistan, Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad, presented an overview of the development work in the province.”It is no wonder that today Balochistan has the lowest social indices,” he said. He added that this year, for the first time, 90 per cent of the allocated funds were disbursed.

Vice-Chancellor of the Agriculture University, Faisalabad, Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan added to the discussion saying that Balochistan had 33 million acres of cultivable land which was about the same as in Punjab.

“Only the problem of water scarcity has been neglected otherwise Balochistan could have been a source of food security for the entire country,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2014.