Balochistan passing through critical period: Dr Malik

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said the province is passing through a very critical period of its history and pledged that no compromise would be made on the coastal areas and the right of proprietorship of the resources of the province.
He expressed these views while winding up a debate on the Gwadar-Kashgar route in the Balochistan Assembly on Saturday.
He vowed to work with the opposition in the provincial assembly for the protection of national identity and survival. He said that he would hold talks with the central government for the protection of the province’s interests with regard to the Gwadar-Kashgar economic corridor. He backed the unanimous resolution on the Gwadar-Kashgar route passed by the provincial assembly with the amendments suggested by the opposition.
He said, “Balochistan belongs to all of us and we have to struggle for the well-being of the province, ignoring our political differences. We have struggled for the 18th Amendment.”
He urged that other than defence, currency and foreign affairs, the rest of the powers should be transferred to the provinces. He said with regard to Gwadar Port, they had demanded that it should be handed over to the province and then the government had made a promise which had not been fulfilled.
He said that it had also been promised that the majority of workers including the chairman at the port would be taken from Balochistan and now the chairman of the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) was appointed in consultation with them.
He said they should have a commitment to Balochistan. He said much was talked about the Baloch and posed a question why then the provincial government handed over the Saindak Project to China when its lease ended in 2011 and where the almost Rs2 billion of Dr Samar Mubarakmand had gone. He said that he would take the opposition into confidence on the issue of Reko Diq and he would not do anything which might bring embarrassment to him.