QUETTA: Opposition and treasury benches expressed concern on Saturday over growing drought in parts of Balochistan and said that just sending a few trucks of relief goods by Provincial Disaster Management Authority [PDMA] would not resolve the problem and special measures were needed to help the people hit by the calamity.

When the house met for the first winter session, members complained that the government was not taking them into confidence over the drought situation in the province.

Taking part in the debate on the drought situation, BNP’s Sanaullah Baloch referred to a resolution adopted by the house in the last session on the issue, but regretted that no serious steps had been taken by the government so far.

Relief goods sent by PDMA termed inadequate

He said the province was facing terrorist attacks, cases of kidnapping for ransom and other serious problems, but the government was only interested in holding Jeep rallies.

He said that a few trucks of relief goods had been sent to drought-hit areas and in his own constituency only six trucks reached, but the aid was not enough even for 50 families.

He said that in the resolution adopted by the house, members had demanded of the government to take immediate steps for overcoming drought and to form a committee, but nothing had been done.

Mr Baloch also spoke on the issue of missing persons, kidnapping of a senior doctor and demands of media people.

Mr Asghar Khan Achakzai of ANP also spoke about the drought and demanded of the government to take immediate steps to resolve the matter.

On the issue of teachers’ protest and their demand for educational allowance, Mr Achakzai said that teachers of schools and colleges were holding protest rally outside the assembly building and the government must resolve this important issue on priority basis.

Advocate Malik Sikandar of JUI-F said the government should review educational act approved by the cabinet for legislation. Through the act, he said, the government wanted to bring education department into essential services act and ban trade union activities of teachers’ organisations.

He said that education did not come into essential services and asked the government not to commit injustice with teachers by denying them the right to protest or form trade unions to defend their rights.

The house was also to discuss the Auditor General’s report of 2017-18 about the provincial government’s expenditure, but was adjourned due to the death of PkMAP Senator Sardar Azam Khan Musakhail in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2018