QUETTA: The Baloch­istan cabinet refused to release more funds for the ongoing Quetta Safe City project in a Thursday night meeting that also discussed several issues ranging from progress on implementing ongoing development projects and admissions to medical and dental colleges.

Meanwhile, Chief Minis­ter Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo has also inducted a new minister after the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) refused to join the cabinet.

The cabinet meeting, presided over by Mr Bizenjo, directed officials that all necessary details should be included in the PC-I — a document that covers almost all aspects of a project — of all new development schemes to avoid the need for revisions.

The directions came after some proposals were presented to the cabinet for revising the cost of development projects, sources said.

Ziaullah Langove inducted as minister after talks with JUI-F failed

For instance, during a briefing about the progress on the ongoing Quetta Safe City project, the officials asked the cabinet for more funds to complete the project.

However, Chief Minister Bizenjo expressed concern over the delay and told the officials that the Balochistan government couldn’t spare more funds as the province was already faced with a lack of resources.

However, the cabinet approved a proposed development scheme to build a new building of the excise and taxation directorate in Quetta.

The cabinet also approved the admission prospectus of public-sector medical and dental colleges — Bolan Medical College in Quetta, Jhalawan Medical College in Khuzdar, Loralai Medical College in Loralai, and Makran Medical College in Turbat — for the academic session 2022-23.

It also gave the go-ahead to the revised PC-1 to construct a delayed-action dam in Nagor in Jhal Magsi district.

The cabinet also agreed to the agenda for upgrading some posts of the education department with a direction that upgradation rules and qualifications applicable in other provinces should also be reviewed.

Mr Bizenjo told the ministers that “we are representatives of the people and reached the power corridors through their votes. It was our responsibility to deliver the benefits and fruits of democracy and development to the people who sent us to the assemblies”.

New minister inducted

Meanwhile, Mr Bizenjo has inducted Mir Ziaullah Langove into the cabinet as the minister for home and tribal affairs after the refusal of the JUI-F to join the government.

Mr Langove was serving as the adviser for the same portfolio and resigned the other day to take charge as a minister. He has now been given another portfolio of the PDMA.

Mr Bizenjo earlier invited JUI-F Balochistan, which had 11 members in the provincial assembly, to join his cabinet, but after month-long negotiations, the JUI-F provincial head, federal minister Maulana Abdul Wasey, refused to accept the offer, saying the chief minister had failed to accept the party’s conditions.

The JUI-F wanted important seats in at least six ministries besides advisers in the cabinet. However, the chief minister did not agree to remove his party ministers from the portfolios sought by JUI-F.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2022