QUETTA, July 28: The Balochistan Assembly passed here on Monday the Gwadar Development Authority Bill 2003 within few minutes.

Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar then prorogued the session, requisitioned by the grand opposition, sine die.

Maulana Abdul Wasay, Senior Minister for Planning and Development, tabled the Gwadar Development Authority Bill 2003, requesting to exempt it from the procedure 84 of the assembly’s code of business. Majority of the members stood up in its favour and, thus, it was adopted.

But, Jaffar Khan Mandokhel of the PML-Q, on point of order, stressed that members should be permitted to present their points of view as discussion was part of democracy. When the chair rejected his contention he and ex-chief minister Mir Jan Jamali abstained from the voting.

The bill consists of 40 sections.

Section 5 defines the governing body that would control and manage the Authority and this body would consist of 12 members, including the chief minister who will be its chairman and a director-general who will be a whole-timer member. The remaining 10 members will be appointed by the government.

Section 7 authorizes the body to establish the branches which include administration, finance, town planning, engineering, estate and law and regulations to discharge the functions of the Authority.

Section 20 deals with investment of funds that authorizes the authority to invest its surplus funds in any security of the federal government or provincial government or any scheme of a bank approved by the State Bank of Pakistan.

Section 25 (2) says the investor may not directly purchase land from any private landowner, the investor will submit its schemes to the Authority, and the latter, after examination, may amend/approve or reject the scheme.

Section 38 relates to the jurisdiction of courts saying that no court shall pass an order in any suit or proceeding granting a temporary or interim injunctions restraining Authority or officer authorized by it from taking possession of any land or building under this bill.

Section 39 relates to land acquisition empowering the Authority that any land needed for any scheme or public purpose may be acquired in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

CM’s ASSURANCE: Earlier, Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf assured the house that the government would take notice if any irregularities were committed in allotment of plots by the Quetta Development Authority, and added that if, following an investigation, corruption came to light it would open a Pandora’s Box.

He said the government could implement its writ but then the treasury and the opposition would complain that the government was interfering in the affairs of the district governments, and added that political groups on both sides of the house had a share in the district governments.

RAINS: Jam Yousuf further said that the government would grant all assistance to the people affected in various parts of the province by the torrential rains. He rejected the charges that flood water was diverted towards the lands inhabited by Marri-Bugti tribes in Nasirabad.

He said the ministers and members of the house would be asked to visit the flood-affected areas to assess the damages in the rains.

Maulana Wasay clarified that the QDA portfolio was not with him nor had he allotted any plot in the Hazarganji bus stand, and said he only headed a committee that dealt with shifting of the bus stand site to a new area.

Akhtar Lango (BNP-Mengal) alleged that the district government system was a “state within state” that would pave the way for presidential system, and demanded to abolish it.

The adjournment motion tabled by Kachkol Ali Baloch, leader of opposition, was not pressed by mover when Information Minister Hafiz Hussain Ahmed Sharody assured to consider the matter.

The leader of opposition complained that the government was influencing newspapers to ignore the coverage to the opposition parties. PMAP’s Abdur Rahim Zuaratwal backed the contentions of the leader of opposition.