QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Friday approved two resolutions – one calling for flood relief under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), and the other seeking tehsil status for Aghberg, a suburban area of Quetta.
The session, chaired by Speaker Capt (retd) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, witnessed heated debate on governance, health, and development, before it was adjourned until September 23 due to lack of quorum.
The session began with question hour, where Opposition Leader Mir Younus Aziz Zehri strongly protested against the rising cost of dam construction projects in the province. He claimed that cost escalations were straining the provincial budget and delaying vital infrastructure. Following his protest, the matter was referred to the relevant committee for further review.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) legislator Nawabzada Zareen Magsi presented a resolution. Engineer Zmarak Khan Achakzai welcomed the federal government’s decision to impose a climate and agricultural emergency. He urged that flood victims in Balochistan should also be provided relief through the BISP. Achakzai highlighted that while Punjab and Sindh had already been hit by devastating floods, Balochistan’s economy also depended on agriculture and faced similar risks. He called on the government to seek support from international organisations to ensure aid reached the province. Other lawmakers complained that while aid was announced for Balochistan, it often did not reach affected communities. Supporting the resolution, Provincial Minister Mir Zahoor Buledi said climate change had wreaked havoc across Pakistan. He said that an “enemy country” had used water as a “water bomb” against Pakistan, while poor planning had compounded the crisis. The House also approved the amended draft law for the Balochistan Institute of Nephro-Urology, following the committee report presented by Dr Nawaz Kibzai.
Another resolution from ANP’s Malik Naeem Bazai called for granting tehsil status to Aghberg, located 35 km from Quetta and home to around 60,000 people. He argued that the area had grown significantly, housed several villages, and already possessed essential institutions, including a hospital and a college. Supporting the resolution, Zmarak Khan Achakzai stressed that Balochistan needed more tehsils and sub-tehsils, and even new provinces. Provincial Revenue Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gello said the provincial cabinet had already approved new tehsils.
Another resolution, moved by JUI-F legislator Mir Zabid Ali Reki, called for the immediate completion of the Nokundi–Mashkhel road project, spanning 102 kilometres. Provincial Communications and Works Minister Mir Saleem Khosa said the federal government has allocated meagre funds for Balochistan’s schemes. He recommended that the chief minister and provincial legislators meet the prime minister to demand adequate funding.
