Balochistan Development Gateway

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Converting B Areas into A Areas: APCC proposes Rs 1.357 billion for Balochistan

ISLAMABAD (May 23 2007): The Annual Plan Co-ordination Committee (APCC) on Tuesday proposed an allocation of Rs 1.357 billion for converting B Areas into A Areas in Balochistan. The APCC also allocated Rs 750 million for construction of Gwadar International Airport.

The proposed allocation of Rs 1.357 billion would be utilised for converting total 29 troubled areas of Balochistan into A Areas, said a senior police official who attended the APCC meeting. The project, he said, is aimed at converting 29 B areas into A areas of the province.

B areas are the districts where law and order is not satisfactory, but the regular police force could not be deployed there. He hoped that this project would be completed in the next two years. APCC also approved agriculture sector development projects worth over Rs 25 billion and has allocated initial funds for the next fiscal 2007-08.

Ismail Qureshi, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock, after attending the APCC meeting informed that Rs 18.5 billion project of national importance relates to introduction of Drip and Sprinkle Irrigation Technology in the country.

Syed Asif Shah, Secretary Commerce informed that APCC has approved Rs 216 million for the Pakistan Fashion Design School, Rs 30 million for foreign Trade Institute and approved in principle Rs 1.3 billion for the Expo Center Lahore, extension in Expo Center, Karachi and establishment of Institute of Textile and Clothing.

The Ministry of Science and Technology to get 40 percent increase in its development budget in next fiscal year 2007-08 with an allocation of Rs 7 billion. Railway Division to get an allocation of Rs 12 billion, railways official informed.

APCC approved Rs 1 billion for the implementation of Export Plan Pakistan, reduction in cost of doing business and skill development, Rs 450 million for establishment of textile cities in Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. APCC also approved Rs 1.180 billion for 43 ongoing projects and Rs 1 billion for 11 new projects of the environment ministry.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=567810&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

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Rs 230 billion being spent on basic amenities in Balochistan: Jam

ISLAMABAD (May 24 2007): Balochistan Chief Minister Muhammad Yousuf on Wednesday said that various development projects worth more that Rs 230 billion were continuing in the province aimed at ensuring basic amenities to the people of far-flung areas of the province.

Talking to PTV, he said that three million dollars had been allocated for establishing desalination plants around coastal belt of the province. A two million gallons capacity desalination plant would be set up in Gwadar Industrial Estate.

He said that seven desalination plants would be established in coastal belt of Balochistan to provide clean drinking water to people of respective areas.

A sum of Rs 8.5 billion has been allocated to provide basic amenities in Sui district. Kachhi Canal is set to be a harbinger of green revolution in the areas of Sui, as it will irrigate around 800,000 acres of barren land.

The Balochistan government is also establishing 200 shelterless, 200 regular and 200 primary schools per annum in various far-flung areas of the province aiming at bringing the province at par with rest of the parts of the country, he said. Private sector is also being encouraged to open more schools in the far-flung areas of the province. Education up to class X is also free.

Also the quota for Balochistan students has also been enhanced in technical institutions of other provinces. The share of Balochistan in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) has been enhanced to Rs 312 billion from just Rs 30 billion a few years ago.

Arrangements have been finalised for exploring copper reserves of the province in collaboration with a company from Chile. The share of Balochistan government would be 25 percent, he said. World's second largest industrial estate has already been established in Balochistan, 3000 acres of land has been allotted to Gwadar industrial estate. Marble city has also been established in the province.

An agreement has also been inked with local tribes to initiate coal mining in the potent00ial areas. It would generate at least 100,000 new jobs. He said PML would win the next elections on the basis of its excellent performance.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=568196&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

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Balochistan to get PSDP lion's share: Omar

QUETTA (May 31 2007): The Minister of State for Finance, Omar Ayub Khan, said here on Tuesday that major portion of next federal government PSDP, amounting to Rs 435 billion, would be spent on Balochistan development, as it has to play a proactive role in the overall economic development of the country in near future.

Speaking as chief guest at a pre-budget seminar organised by the Press Information Department, he said that future of the country was linked with Balochistan, and the federal government, on the directive of President Musharraf, has made the province's development its top agenda.

He said that the amount allocated in the PSDP would not only be spent on infrastructure development but also on linking the Gwadar port with other parts of the country through highways and railways forth to Western China, Central Asian States and Russia.

About salient features of next year's budget the minister said maximum relief would be extended to the people as the government has increased the volume of subsidy from Rs 90 billion of the current budget to Rs 100 billion on various edibles and daily use items. Besides, customs duty and income tax ceiling would also be reduced.

He said that demand for all essential items in the market has increased manifold making this fact amply clear that positive economic policies of the government have made the common man prosperous and his purchase power has also increased to a considerable extent.

Referring to the difference between demand and supply, he suggested that it could be overcome by adopting the latest means of preserving the edible items. In order to ensure subsidy to the people at grass-roots level, more than 1000 utility stores outlets were working across the country where all edible items are sold on far lower prices than the open market. He said that the government had focused on development of human resource, infrastructure and exploitation of natural resources.

Earlier, Provincial Secretary for Finance Mehfooz Ali Khan said that in the past the volume of provincial PSDP used to be only 200 million, insufficient for constructing 30 km long metalled road, and today its volume is Rs 38 billion.

He said the provincial government has curtailed its current expenditure from Rs 18 billion to Rs 10 billion, besides adopting a prudent debt retiring strategy under which it would remit entire loan under 'Cash Development Loan' taken from the Centre by obtaining soft term loan from Asian Development Bank.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=570884&currPageNo=2&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

 

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Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Balochistan home to lowest-literacy rate population in Pakistan

QUETTA: Balochistan is home to the largest number of school buildings that are falling apart. It also has the least number of educational institutions, the lowest literacy rate among both males and females, the lowest ranking in the Gender Parity Index (GPI) and the smallest presence of private educational institutes in the country, according to the recently issued National Economic Survey (NES).

According to the survey, 8.6 percent out of the 10,381 educational institutions in the province are in a ‘dangerous’ condition. About 24.7 percent of these need major repairs while 36.6 percent require minor repairs. Only 30.2 percent are in satisfactory conditions.

“The total number of institutions in the country that have buildings is 216,490. Out of those, 51.6 percent are in satisfactory conditions, 26 percent need minor repairs, 17 percent need major repairs, and ‘only’ 5.7 percent are in dangerous conditions.

The highest percentage of school buildings that fall into this category are from Balochistan, said the survey.

About six percent of the schools in Balochistan do not have buildings, nine percent lack electricity, 12 percent are devoid of clean drinking water and 11 percent are without proper latrine.

The province also has the smallest number of educational institutions – 10,381 against the national number of 216,490 out of which 106,435 are located in the Punjab, 46,862 in Sindh and 36,029 in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). This, according to the NES, means that “out of the total number of institutions, 48 percent are to be found in the Punjab, 22 percent in Sindh, 17 percent in the NWFP and 5 percent in Balochistan.” With 43 percent of the total national territory and vast natural resources, Balochistan happens to be the largest province of Pakistan. But the province has the lowest literacy rate.

According to the latest NES, Balochistan’s total literacy rate is 34 percent against the national literacy rate of 52 percent – 57 percent of which is for the Punjab, 50 percent for Sindh and 49 percent for the NWFP. The literacy rate among males in Balochistan is 39 percent, the lowest in the country. The Punjab has 60 percent and Sindh and the NWFP both have 54. Similarly, the literacy rate among women in Balochistan is also the worst in the country. With only 27 percent literate women, Balochistan stands poorly against the national female literacy rate of 48 percent - 53 percent for the Punjab, 42 percent for Sindh and 27 percent for the NWFP.

Balochistan also lags behind all the three provinces in the Net Enrolment Rate (NER). “The NER for primary schools was 42 percent in 2001-02, which increased significantly to 52 percent in 2005-06. Overall, both the sexes have recorded a 10 percent increase in 2005-06 as compared to 2001-02. The Punjab (57 percent) has ranked first followed by Sindh, the NWFP, and then Balochistan,” the survey stated.

Though the GPI has seen a considerable increase over time, “the smaller provinces of the NWFP and Balochistan, with a literacy GPI of 0.46 and 0.37 respectively, deserve special consideration by the decision makers and planners at both the federal and provincial levels.”

According to the survey, the GPI for GER at the primary level increased from 0.37 in 2001-02 to 0.85 in 2005-06. The NER at the primary level increased from 0.82 to 0.85 during the same period.

The latest data marks the literacy GPI for Pakistan at 0.46 with a provincial break-up of 0.67 for the Punjab, 0.89 for Sindh, 0.46 for the NWFP and 0.37 for Balochistan. Balochistan’s journey towards the attainment of a higher literacy rate from 2001-02 to 2005-06 has been embarrassingly slow as compared to the other three provinces. The Punjab has outdone all the other provinces improving its literacy rate from 47 to 57 percent. Similarly, Sindh has increased to 55 percent from 46 percent in 2001-02 and the NWFP from 38 to 46 percent.

Balochistan has proved to be the slowest with only a two percent increase in its literacy rate during the past seven years. The province, according to the NES, has only progressed from 36 to 38 percent.

Balochistan also has the lowest presence of private schools - 1,750, as compared to 48,541 in the Punjab, 12,574 in Sindh and 11,276 in the NWFP. The NES has noted that more than 76,000 private institutions in Pakistan attend to the educational needs of 12 million children. The trend in enrolment shows that the gender gap is closing down in the case of private schools as compared to public schools.

One strong reason could be the presence of almost twice the number of female teachers in the private sector as compared to the public sector. In private schools, the student to teacher ratio is 1:29. The male teacher to female teacher ratio is 1:2. In the case of the public sector, the ratio of male teachers to female teachers is 1:0.6.

“Private sector institutions are growing rapidly, i.e., from 36,096 in 1999-2000 to 81,103 institutions in 2005, showing an annual average increase of 25 percent,” the report said. Despite Balochistan’s abysmal state of education, the cash-starved province has been left in lurch by the federal government in its efforts to improve the state of education. The NES states that the provincial government will need to rationalize the suggested allocation increase by enhancing non-salary expenditures for primary and secondary schools. This includes the provision of missing facilities in existing infrastructure, the provision of quality services such as teacher training, the increase of resources for new infrastructure, a girls incentive programs, and the provision of on-the-side incentives such as free textbooks, uniforms, transport, and scholarships.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\06\12\story_12-6-2007_pg7_14

 

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Saturday, June 16, 2007

ADB to provide $133m for reforms in Balochsitan

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $133 million grant for supporting efforts to sustain ongoing public sector reforms in Balochsitan. The Balochsitan government needs the funds to continue fiscal restructuring and financial management measures and to improve processes and establish adequate institutions for public and private service delivery, says John Brommelhorster, a Senior Economist in ADB’s Central and West Asia Department. Despite its size, only 5 percent of the country’s population lives in Balochsitan and only a third of the land area of the province is productive for grazing or agriculture. The provincial government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper estimates that the poverty level in Balochsitan is as high as 47 percent. ADB approved the Balochsitan Resource Management Programme (BRMP) in November, 2004.

A technical assistance loan of $3 million was provided to the province by ADB in 2004. app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\06\16\story_16-6-2007_pg7_37

 

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No new project for Balochistan​

Balochistan budget for 2007-08 envisages a total outlay of Rs63.081 billion against the total receipts of Rs53.248 billion. With a resource gap of Rs10.278 billion, the provincial government believes that the deficit will be met by increasing provincial income, economy measures and federal government assistance.

With a development outlay of Rs13.47 billion, the budget levies no new taxes.

The provincial government will spend Rs41.494 billion on current expenditure against total revenue receipts of Rs43.82 billion including income estimated from provincial resources at Rs2.966 billion. A sum of Rs40.86 billion is expected from the federal divisible pool.

Like previous four budgets, the PML-MMA coalition government has again come up with a deficit budget. The Rs59.69 billion budget for the outgoing year showed a staggering shortfall of Rs10.96 billion. The provincial government has never tried to bridge the gap through austerity measures, local resource generation and federal grants. The incidents of terrorism and subversion and cash strapped resources further burdened its fragile financial resources.

As usual, the provincial government is expecting grants from the federal government and international donors to finance the budget deficit. It exposes the severe resource constraints of a province on the country’s political periphery and its sole dependence on the centre to meet its financial needs. It amply reveals how an impoverished, heavily indebted and ever-neglected federating unit manages to run its affairs on loans and subventions and hopes and promises.

Annual Development Programme: A sum of Rs13.47 billion has been allocated for the Annual Development Programme (ADP), an impressive leap of 40 per cent over the outgoing year’s figure. The new ADP also includes Rs3.332 billion for foreign-assisted projects. The programme is by and large unfunded because only Rs3.332 billion are expected in foreign assistance, Rs11.50 million in Japanese cash grant and Rs107.62 million in ASPL-11.

The provincial government has decided to implement the ongoing development schemes and no new project has been included in the next year’s PSDP. Similarly, no new scheme had been included in the Rs10.81 billion ADP for 2006-07 for which the provincial government had allocated Rs6.35 billion and Rs3.760 billion was expected from the foreign assistance. The provincial government also carried an unimplemented development budget of Rs9 billion from the 2005-06. During the current financial year, 1071 development schemes were to be implemented under the PSDP.

The situation reveals some stark facts about the province. Firstly, the province lacks the institutional capacity to successfully carry out an annual development plan, hence the development funds are under-utilised. That is why, the fiscal and physical targets do not match. Secondly, the law and order situation, which is essential to continue and complete a developmental project, has not been satisfactory for the last three years.

While the volume of provincial PSDP has witnessed an increase over the last five years, it has been lower than the development budgets of other provinces. While Balochistan was facing resource constraint to fund its ADP of Rs7 billion last year, the Punjab’s chief minister had discretionary funds of more than Rs8 billion at his disposal.

Federal government is also implementing development projects. The mega projects underway in Balochistan include Gwadar port, Rs5.811 billion Mirani dam, Rs1.1 billion Sabakzai dam, Rs31 billion Kachhi Canal, Rs6 billion water courses project, Rs54 billion roads link project, Rs6.428 billion Naulang and Bolan dams, Rs2.016 billion flood water saving project, Rs2.243 billion Pat Feeder canal, Rs288 million flood protection project, Rs37.37 million rainwater harvesting and desertification control project.

Revenue base: Official sources claim that the province has improved its fiscal discipline and management. It has shown highest revenue growth of more than 20 per cent this year. Balochistan has managed to increase its small revenue base by more than 100 per cent in the last three years to Rs2.8 billion from Rs1.3 billion.

In revenue generation, according to the provincial finance secretary, Balochistan has left behind NWFP, which is generating Rs5 billion from its natural resources besides two industrial estates and a huge network of government and private sector partnerships.

One may appreciate the provincial government for its debt retirement strategy. Loans (CDLs) of higher interest rate were retired to save Rs1 billion per annum. The province also curtailed its recurring expenditure by Rs4.5 billion to Rs33 billion during the current year against budget estimates of Rs37 billion.

According to Balochistan Senior Minister, no progress has yet been made on the demands for Gas Development Surcharge (GDS) and due gas royalty so far. Balochistan lost Rs1.7 billion during the current fiscal in the royalty and GDS proceeds. This has been due to much lower gas production, and gas supply interruptions from gas fields at Sui, Loti and Pirokh.

Balochistan is the province that suffered the worst due to the NFC stalemate, as it largely depends upon the resources received from federal government through National Finance Commission. That is why, the parliamentary sub-committee on Balochistan headed by Senator Wasim Sajjad had also recommended the announcement of NFC award before the 2006-06 budget.

It has been observed that the heavy debt burden, state of law and order, corruption, lack of planning and poor governance are the key issues which have been distorting the budget priorities in the province.

Law and order: Balochistan witnessed an increase of about Rs4 billion in its federal divisible pool share from the federal government under an interim NFC award announced by President General Pervez Musharraf. But bulk of this has been eaten away by additional expenditures on law and order in the province. During this fiscal year, more than Rs800 million are reported to have been spent on setting up additional security posts in and around the gas producing areas. For the next fiscal, a sum of Rs4.52 billion has been allocated for improving law and order.

On the eve of the provincial budget, Balochistan Economic Forum (BEF) has advised the provincial government to find new and dependable sources of income to reduce its dependence on federal divisible pool for meeting its financial needs. It is necessary for the province to widen its revenue base by encouraging direct foreign investment and seeking international economic aid agencies’ and multilateral institution’s support for the socio-economic development of the province, with the cooperation of the federal government.

http://www.dawn.com/2007/06/25/ebr7.htm

 

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Balochistan to continue receiving preferential treatment, says Sherry ​

Saturday, November 22, 2008

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman on Friday said the PPP-led coalition government’s policies were aimed at benefiting and mainstreaming the people of Balochistan, which will continue to receive a preferential treatment.

Talking to a delegation of editors that called on the minister here, she said the government was committed to resolving the issues of each and every sector of the province. “The president and prime minister have repeatedly emphasised that Balochistan deserves special attention and affirmative action so that the issues of the region must be addressed on a priority basis,” she added.

Sherry said the province needs to be seen beyond the prism of its resource-rich structure. “For our government, Balochistan is an important region that must be brought into the mainstream because it is an integral and vital part of Pakistan.”

She said all these years of confrontation with the province was not only fruitless, it also caused immense damage to the cause of a united federation, adding that all our development and policy efforts for the province were initiated from the perspective of benefiting its people.

Sherry assured the editors’ delegation that her ministry would address their issues at its earliest. She accepted the delegation’s invitation to visit the province. “It would be an opportunity to personally interact with media representatives of the province, and understand their problems, and present the federal government’s viewpoint.”

She added that all high-level visits to the region, including those of the president and PM to Balochistan, were aimed at strengthening people-to-people contacts with the province. The minister hailed the release of Mir Abdul Nabi Bangulzai and said the release of all political prisoners, including Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Safdar Sarki and Mir Shahzain Bugti, was part of the PPP government’s reconciliation move.

“We are determined to close the chapter on the culture of political victimisation. The government has also removed the FC checkpoints from the area, in response to a longstanding demand of the people of Balochistan, who have complained of harassment at the hands of FC troops,” she said.

Sherry said the prime minister had allocated a significant sum from his discretionary grant for the development projects of the province, which was a special priority for the federal government. “We are committed to going the extra mile for the development of the province,” she added.

The minister said preparations were on for convening an All Parties Conference for the resolution of the issues of the province. The Balochistan Reconciliatory Committee formed by the president is actively working to restore the environment of trust and political mainstreaming of the Balochistan population, she said.

 

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Balochistan’s development projects reviewed ​

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

ISLAMABAD: On the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, the development projects of Balochistan were reviewed in a high-level meeting held at the Planning Commission (PC) here on Monday, said a PC statement.

Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Raza Rabbani, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan and Salman Faruqui had a detailed discussion with Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani and members of the Balochistan cabinet on the ongoing development projects in the province.

Mainly, the progress on major highways that connect Balochistan to Sindh, Punjab, Iran and within Balochistan was reviewed.

Other areas that were discussed included agriculture, trade, gas exploration, construction of small dams and representation of Balochistan in the public sector and the autonomous bodies. The Ministry of Communication and the National Highway Authority were directed to expedite the work on the main highways of Balochistan, especially those roads that connect the Gawader Port with the rest of the country.

Measures for operationalisation and optimal utilisation of the Gawader deep seaport were reviewed in detail.Wapda was directed to provide electricity to the Gwadar Port in the shortest possible time to ensure power supply for the efficient functioning of the port.

It was also decided that import and export of goods from the Gwadar Port would be encouraged in future.The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance were directed to resolve the issue of the import of bulldozers and their handing over to the government of Balochistan.

To expedite work on dams, it was decided that the Planning Commission would immediately write to Wapda to prepare and submit the PC-1s of dams in Balochistan.As far as the federal jobs for the province are concerned, the chief minister was informed that the Establishment Division had already advertised 1,000 jobs for Balochistan and the process of recruitment would be completed in one month.

The interviews for the jobs would be conducted in Quetta being a convenient location for candidates.All the federal government representatives concerned gave an update on the progress made so far on the projects.

Timelines for the completion of the projects were set and timely release of funds was assured to the executing federal ministries and the government of Balochistan by the Ministry of Finance.

Faruqui informed the meeting that it was directed by the president to expedite the work on Balochistan development projects and to sort out the issues pertaining to the release of funds for these projects.

For the current fiscal year, the PSDP allocation for Balochistan stands at Rs 42.5 billion.Ministers Raza Rabbani and Dr Babar Awan said that the development of Balochistan was one of the top priorities of the government and they were attending the meeting to ensure that timelines for the completion of projects were set and the release of funds was made in a timely manner.

They advised the relevant ministries/divisions to monitor the progress on the projects

and send them regular reports on the status of the ongoing projects.The Balochistan chief minister expressed his full confidence and satisfaction over the steps being taken by the federal government to complete the development projects in Balochistan.

Secretaries, representatives of the Planning and Development Division, finance, communication, commerce, industries and production, food, agriculture and livestock, Establishment Division, NHA, chief secretary Balochistan and members of the Planning Commission attended the meeting.

 

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Water, power projects for Balochistan planned ​

Saturday, January 03, 2009

ISLAMABAD: The PPP-led government is taking all possible steps to provide basic amenities to the people and for the development of Balochistan.

Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf stated this while talking to the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani who called on him at his office here on Friday. Provincial Minister for Finance and Revenue, Asim Kurd Gillo and Adviser Ministry of Water and Power, Riaz Ahmed Khan were also present.

The minister said that different water and power projects with special allocations have been planned in various parts of Balochistan to meet its electricity and water requirements.

Ashraf said a rental power project of 200 megawatts is being set up at Quetta while feasibility study of four dams namely Hingol, Winder, Sukleji and Naolong has been completed by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

Construction work on the Hingol dam will start soon and after completion of the proposed four dams, plenty of water would be available for irrigation of land for cultivation, he said.

Both the minister and chief minister discussed the current power situation, future water and power projects and progress on the import of power from Iran. The minister asked the chief minister to use his good offices for recovery of long outstanding dues both from the public and private sectors.

The chief minister also discussed political, social and other matters of mutual interest for the development of Balochistan. He expressed hope that due to the allocation of special funds by the federal government, the people of Balochistan would get all the basic facilities.

 

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200 megawatts rental power project to be set up in Balochistan: minister​

ISLAMABAD (January 03 2009): Federal Minister for Water and Power, Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that federal government is taking all possible steps to provide basic amenities to the people and development of Balochistan. He said this while talking to Chief Minister of Balochistan, Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani who called on him here on Friday in his office.

The Provincial Minister for Finance and Revenue, Asim Kurd Gillo and Adviser Ministry of Water and Power, Riaz Ahmed Khan were also present. The minister said that different water and power sector projects with special allocations have been planned in various parts of Balochistan to meet electricity and water requirements. Raja Pervez Ashraf said a rental power project of 200 MW is being set up at Quetta while the feasibility study of four dams namely Hingol, Winder, Sukleji and Naolong has been completed by Wapda.

Construction work on Hingol dam will be started soon. He said that after completion of proposed four dams, plenty of water will be available for irrigation purpose. The minister and the Chief Minister discussed the current power situation, future water and power projects and progress of import of power from Iran.

The minister also asked the Chief Minister to use his good offices for recovery of long outstanding dues from public and private sectors. The Chief Minister also discussed political, social and other matters of mutual interest for development of Balochistan with the minister.

He expressed the hope that with allocation of special funds by the federal government, the people of Balochistan will get all basic facilities. He thanked the minister for setting up of rental power projects and early construction of dams.

 

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Roads in Balochistan on priority, says Arbab​

Published: May 17, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Communications Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan has said that road infrastructure in Balochistan would be completed on priority basis.
He said this while talking to Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani here on Saturday.

The minister also thanked the Chief Minister Balochistan for taking special interest in completing the development work in the province.
The chief minister said that security has been provided to all the contractors in Balochistan so that the development work may not suffer.
Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan said that it the priority of the government to complete the entire road network on priority basis especially the projects of Balochistan, as all these roads leads to Gwadar.

He said that the government desired to completely functionalise the Gwadar Port, so that the trade activities with Iran, Afghanistan, China and Central Asian States might be activated.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Communications Sharif Ahmed, Chief Secretary Balochistan and Chairman, NHA, Altab Ahmed Ch.

The NHA Chairman briefed about the ongoing projects and their progress in the meeting and said that the contract of Hasnain Construction for Quetta-Chaman Road and Quetta-Mastung Road and work had been awarded to the new contractor. It was decided that Balochistan Chief Minister and Minister for Communications would visit both the roads on 26th to see the progress.

The meeting was informed that the work of Qilla Saifullah Road would be started in September 2009, as the funds would be released by ADB. The Minister for Communications directed that NHA authorities to pursue the case with ADB for release of funds and the contractor might be mobilised soon after getting the NOC from ADB.

The CM Balochistan was informed that the road from Gwadar-Jewani and Gulhri-Gabd would be completed in the month of July 2009 and Quetta Western Bypass had been completed and the CM was requested to inaugurate it.

Roads in Balochistan on priority, says Arbab | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

 

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Work on livestock development projects in Balochistan under progress:Raisani​

ISLAMABAD, May 14, 2009 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- Various projects for the development of livestock and dairy farming has been started in Balochistan for which Federal Government is providing funds. This was stated by the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raeesani while speaking at the briefing session of the Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development here Thursday.

He said government was very keen in development of Balochistan for which provincial and federal government has joint hands to improve the living standard of the people of the province.

Federal Secretary Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development Muhammad Ali Afridi informed that federal Government is implementing livestock projects worth of Rs. 8 billion throughout the country including Balochistan. Establishment of 447 feedlot fattening farm in Balochistan under LDDB Meat project, Provision of livestock production and extension services at farmers doorsteps, targeting 7 districts in Balochistan under Prime Ministers special Initiative for Livestock was also under progress.

He further said that Ministry of Livestock and Dairy Development also received livestock projects worth of Rs. 928 million from Planning and Development Department, Government of Balochistan for funding from federal PSDP. These have been forwarded to Planning Commission for necessary action and funding. He said these projects consist on establishment of sheep farm at Khuzdar, Establishment of camel farm at Kharan and Establishment of dairy farm at Jhal Magsi area in Balochistan.

Work on livestock development projects in Balochistan under progress:Raisani

 

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Development projects for Hothla, Kahuta approved: Babar.​

RAWAPINDI, 05 May , 2009 (Balochistan Balochistan
or Baluchistan

He said this, while chairing a meeting to review the pace of the development projects, at the residence of former Vice Chairman, District Council Rawalpindi, Raja Mazhar on Monday. The Minister said during the last sixty years nothing was done for the development of the area. I am working for the development of the area with great spirit and full sincerity, have brought big projects to the area and people will see change he asserted. Dr. Babar Awan resolved to convert the town in to a city. Work on the construction of hospital and police post is in progress while embroidery embroidery, ornamental needlework applied to all varieties of fabrics and worked with many sorts of thread—linen, cotton, wool, silk, gold, and even hair. Decorative objects, such as shells, feathers, beads, and jewels, are often sewn to the embroidered piece. centre and live stock hospital have been approved. The Minister pledged to up grade the school to high and then to higher secondary level. He further said that measures are being taken to provide gas to the 80% people of the area. The Minister said We are well doer and well wisher of the people and we believe in maintaining peace and block the way of wrong doers. He announced that Rs. 80 million have been earmarked for the area in the next financial year budget. He promised to provide development project during the next 4 years on annual basis. He told the elites of the area that he will visit the area during the next couple of days and efforts would be made to provide electricity to the area. The people of the area highly appreciated the personal Interest of the Federal Minister for the development of their area.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Babar Awar has said that multi sectoral development projects have been approved for his native town Hothla, Tehsil Kahuta.

Development projects for Hothla, Kahuta approved: Babar. - Free Online Library

 

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Gilani announces raise in Balochistan PSDP to Rs 50 billion ​

RECORDER REPORT
ISLAMABAD (May 31 2009): Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced Rs 50 billion for Balochistan in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next financial year, an increase of rupees eight billion over Rs 42 billion of last year. The Prime Minister announced the increase here on Saturday in a meeting with a delegation of Balochistan Cabinet.

Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani and Deputy Chairman of Senate, Jan Mohammad Jamali attended the meeting. He reiterated the government's committed to address the deprivation of the people of Balochistan.

Gilani said that the current financial year's unspent amount of Balochistan PSDP worth Rs 21 billion would not lapse and would be made available to the province during the next financial year. The Prime Minister also announced packages worth rupees nine billion for Balochistan, which included rupees three billion as Quetta package; rupees three billion for budgetary support and rupees three billion for the development schemes to be identified by the members of the Balochistan Assembly.

Thus the total development outlay available for Balochistan in the next financial year would come to Rs 80 billion in addition to the funds allocated to the National Assembly members (MNAs) and Senators for development projects in their constituencies.

The Prime Minister said that his government attached high priority to redressing the grievances of the people of Balochistan and had decided that the entire political leadership of the province would be taken onboard to resolve decades-old issues of the province.

The Prime Minister further said that issues relating to Balochistan needed immediate attention; therefore, a special committee had been formed to work out the modalities for developing broader consensus by taking all stakeholders on board for permanent resolution of the problems.

The Prime Minister said that he had already called a meeting of the PPP Balochistan Provincial Executive Committee in Islamabad on June 5 to take the provincial chapter on board for convening an all parties' conference (APC). The meeting will be attended by the provincial office-bearers, divisional presidents and heads of party's affiliated wings as well as members of the Central Executive Committee and Federal Council from Balochistan, besides Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani.

The Prime Minister said that various modalities for speedy socio-economic development of Balochistan for bringing the province at par with other provinces were under way, and expressed confidence that these new initiatives would greatly help in addressing the concerns of the people of Balochistan.

The Prime Minister said the government firmly believed that progress and prosperity of Balochistan was the prosperity of the country, therefore, the government would employ all its resources to remove backwardness of Balochistan and ensure provision of job opportunities to youth.

Appreciating the Prime Minister's announcement regarding enhancement of PSDP funds and other packages, the delegation extended its full support to the Federal government. They also lauded the Prime Minister's initiative for convening of PPP Balochistan Provincial Executive Committee, and hoped that this would go a long way in bringing about a sea of change in the lives of the Baloch people.

Other members of the delegation included Balochistan Ministers Maulana Abdul Wassey, Asim Kurd, Syed Ehsan Shah, Engr. Zamrak Khan, Sardar Sanaullah Khan Zehri, Captain Abdul Khaliq (Retd), Mir Shahnawaz Marri, Haji Muhammad Khan, Mir Abdur Rehman Mengal, Mir Hamal Kalmati, Parveen Magsi, Rubina Irfan and MPA, Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhel. Balochistan Chief Secretary and Provincial Finance Secretary were also present during the meeting.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

 

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Locations for RoZs: consultations started with NWFP and Balochistan ​

MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN

ISLAMABAD (June 01 2009): Commerce Ministry is reported to have started consultations with provincial governments to finalise the locations for the much talked about Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (RoZs), to be established in NWFP and Balochistan, bordering Afghanistan, official sources told Business Recorder.

"Pakistan will propose sites for locating RoZs by July 1, 2009, as the Obama Administration has promised to work with Congress to seek early enactment of legislation," sources said.

They said that at a tripartite meeting recently held in Washington, US Deputy Secretary Lew referred to President Obama's endorsement of the program and US Administration's hope of getting the pending legislation enacted by Congress at an early date. He also referred to the urgent need for completing the work that has to precede the implementation of the program. Michael J Delaney, Assistant United States Trade Representative (USTR), reaffirmed that the program would prove an effective instrument for creating economic opportunities in areas seriously impacted by protracted conflict and instability.

He emphasised the need for developing a credible labour rights monitoring system that would address the concerns of Congress on the issue. He suggested development of an institutional framework in which local indigenous organisations, outside the ambit of the government, could work along with ILO to monitor enforcement of labour standards specified in the draft legislation, sources added.

According to sources, Commerce Secretary Suleman Ghani, who represented Commerce Ministry, appreciated the early re-introduction of the draft legislation in the US Congress and expressed hope that the bill would be enacted at an early date this year. To maximise the strategic impact of the program, he suggested that additional textile tariff lines be added to the scope of the legislation.

He also proposed that areas in Pakistan, qualified for establishing ROZs under the legislation, be extended so as to include the entire province of Balochistan.

Speaking of the difficult economic and security situation that confronts Pakistan, Suleman emphasised the need for immediate steps to grant greater preferential market access to Pakistan's textile products.

He suggested that a special dispensation be made under the US GSP program for providing additional market access to states seriously impacted by terrorism. He also mentioned the decision during the recently concluded TIFA meeting in Washington to establish a Joint Study Group (JSG), which initially would focus on completing preparatory work for implementation of the ROZs program. The JSG would be convened immediately to develop comprehensive plans for combating illegal transshipment, finalising customs procedures and labour rights monitoring mechanisms.

According to sources, Pakistan has already commissioned a study which, in 6 weeks' time, is expected to propose a regulatory framework for the implementation of the program. After completing stakeholder consultations by middle of June 2009, the government plans to modify existing regulations and enact laws that may be required to bring the regulatory framework in compliance with the requirements stipulated by the ROZ legislation. A separate stakeholders' dialogue is also being initiated, which includes consultations with the concerned provincial governments in an effort to finalise Pakistan's proposals on location of the ROZs. The government hopes to complete this process by the end of June 2009 and the proposals developed through this process would be shared with the US government, sources added.

They said that Afghanistan Foreign Minister stated that the potential of ROZs, as a catalyst for promoting economic growth in the country, is well understood. Economic feasibility studies have already been completed and the initial locations of ROZs in Afghanistan have been identified. Afghanistan, however, will require additional US assistance in developing missing infrastructure, critical to the success of the program.

According to him, Afghanistan would also need substantial assistance in trade capacity building, which would help the country in developing the regulatory framework necessary to address concerns on customs procedures, illegal transshipment and protection of core labour rights.

After detailed discussion, the participants agreed that: (i) US administration will work with Congress to seek early enactment of the ROZ legislation; (ii) all sides will work very closely to develop customs harmonisation procedures, labour rights enforcement mechanisms and regulations against illegal transshipment. US will provide technical assistance through existing institutional arrangements such as the US-Pakistan Joint Study Group; (iii) Pakistan will propose sites for locating ROZs by July 1, 2009; (iv) Pakistan will propose, by June 15, 2009, the language for including additional textile tariff lines to the scope of the legislation and extending geographical limits of ROZ-qualified areas in the country to other regions in Balochistan, and (v) US will promote private sector investment in ROZs and share information on the initiative with Afghanistan and Pakistan by July 1, 2009.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]