NAB asked to investigate spending by legislators
Provincial government blamed for Balochistan woes
Chieftains paying lip service to the problems of masses
Efficient management of resources badly needed in province
Dated: September 02
The Punjab Forum on Sunday asked NAB to probe spending by the legislators in Balochistan as additional revenue has not helped reduce miseries of masses.
Balochistan has always held the centre responsible for its underdevelopment but now the chieftains cannot absolve themselves of responsibility as province has received unprecedented funds under the seventh NFC award and more autonomy after the 18th Amendment, it said.
Budgetary outlay of the province has been doubled, divisible pool share has increased by 4 per cent, it is getting Rs 12 billion annually as gas development surcharge while revenue receipts are up by 95 per cent, said Baig Raj, President Punjab Forum.
Increased revenue has only helped provincial government buy a new aircraft and escalate discretionary funds of lawmakers to Rs 300 million while rural poor still live in the middle ages, he informed.
Baig Raj said that the tribal chiefs have always used all the funds on personal welfare while blaming centre, Army, FC and ISI for their problems.
Baloch sardars are in habit of reaping benefits through violence since decades; the problem existed even before Ayub Khan’s era but it complicated when Akbar Bugti committed suicide and a faction of his party started insurgency, he added.
Now terrorists are getting help from 26 countries including India to destabilize Pakistan; they are also fighting security forces and attacking ISI.
Rejecting all reports of involvement of security apparatus in disappearances, he said that media is painting wrong picture of the issue, according to a UN report only 98 persons are missing in Balochistan, while the report put the number of missing much higher in advance European countries and USA.
Baig Raj said that Balochistan has only eight million populations out of which 40 per cent are Pashtoons while 20 per cent Brahvis who don’t support insurgents. Insurgency is only found in Marri and Bugti areas which have 400,000 people, merely 0.25 pc of total population, he added.
The situation will only improve when benefit reach to the poor by efficient resource management.
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Baig Raj
President, Punjab Forum
(For political & economic rights of Punjab)
0300-5355563
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