QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly has formed a special committee to take up the issue of shortages of gas and electricity in Quetta and other parts of the province with the federal government.

The committee will be headed by acting speaker Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail.

The committee included Oppo­si­tion Leader Malik Sikander Khan (JUI-F), Mir Nasibullah Marri (PTI), Muhammad Asghar Khan Achakzai (ANP), Mir Asadullah Baloch (BNP-Awami), Abdul Khaliq Hazara (Haz­ara Democratic Party), Nasarullah Zerey (PkMAP), Nawa­b­zada Gohram Bugti (JWP), Bushra Rind and Sikander Umrani (BAP).

The lawmakers will visit Islamabad to take up the issues with petroleum and power ministries and other authorities.

The committee was formed after Parliamentary Secretary for Health Khalil Garage Bhutto moved the motion against gas and electricity shortages in the house.

Panel will take up issue with power, petroleum ministries in Islamabad

He said people in Quetta and other areas were facing difficulties since the start of winter due to acute shortages and low pressure of gas and prolonged electricity load shedding. He said the assembly had previously adopted a resolution on the issue but no steps were taken to resolve it by the authorities concerned.

Speaking on a point of order, former finance minister and BAP leader Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi raised the issue of wheat shortage in the Kech district. He claimed the provincial food department had around 400,000 bags of wheat in stock, but only 2000 bags were provided to the district, causing a shortage in the area.

He demanded that the wheat quota should be set according to the requirement of the district. The house also passed two bills titled ‘The Balo­chistan Cadet Colleges (Amendment) Bill, 2022’ and ‘The Balochistan Drugs (Amendment) Bill, 2022’ before the session was adjourned till Tuesday due to the lack of quorum.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2022