QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Friday passed a resolution calling for practical steps for opening border trade of food items and other necessities of life with countries bordering Balochistan to end rampant unemployment in border areas of the province.

The resolution also sought imposition of minimum taxes on food and other items being traded with neighbouring countries.

The resolution also called for giving preference to local candidates only in the field of nursing to reduce mounting joblessness in the province.

Presenting the resolution in the Balochistan Assembly session, presided over by Deputy Speaker Sardar Bavarian Khan Musakhail, JUI MPA Zabid Ali Reki said that Balochistan was the most poor and backward province of country and unemployment was much higher in Balochistan than other provinces of the country.

“Unemployment has now gone up further due to closure of border trade due to border closure with neighbouring countries and the young and other people living in Nushki, Taftan, Panjgur, Turbat, Washuk and Chaman have no means of livelihood and, therefore, they are staging hunger strikes for opening of border trade so that they could feed their families who otherwise are facing starvation,” he said.

“Take practical steps to open food and other commodities for trade with neighbouring countries by imposing minimum taxes on these necessities of life so that massive unemployment among the youth can be eliminated and the people of the area could be provided the much-needed relief. This move will end the sense of deprivation and eliminate anxiety among the youth of the province,” he said.

Mr Reki said the federal government should open more border points and open more gates for the purpose of trade so that people could get more employment opportunities.

He said that import of food items from neighbouring countries was banned and if trading of these items by local people was allowed it would massively tackle the unemployment problem and end smuggling issue of goods also.

Opposition members Malik Naseer Shahwani, Akbar Mengal, Shakila Naveed Dehwar and Makhi Sham Lal supported the resolution and said the federal government should promote the border trade in Balochistan.

He said that token system should be abolished as it was being misused.

He said the Balochistan government should approach the federal government and resume trade activities in border areas and remove check-posts which were causing inconvenience to the common people.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2022