The Balochistan Assembly approved two resolutions on Friday, one calling for flood relief under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and another to grant tehsil status to Aghbarg, a suburban area of Quetta. Chaired by Speaker Capt (R) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, the session included intense debates on governance, health, and development before being adjourned until September 23 due to a lack of quorum.
The session started with a question hour, during which Opposition Leader Mir Younus Aziz Zehri protested the rising costs of dam construction, claiming they were straining the provincial budget. The issue was then referred to the relevant committee. Following this, legislator Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman raised a notice about the medicine budget for hospitals in Gwadar, Pasni, and Ormara, seeking details on funds allocated and released over the past three years. The matter was settled after the health minister provided the figures.
Tensions rose when Zehri criticized the government for allowing two new wine shops to open in Lasbela and Khuzdar. “We are demanding medicine for hospitals, yet licenses for liquor shops are being issued. We will take to the streets against this,” he stated. Speaker Achakzai responded by ruling that any illegally operating wine shop should have its license canceled and advised that members could introduce legislation to ban wine shops entirely.
Engineer Zamrak Khan Achakzai of the Awami National Party (ANP) protested that the session was not following its agenda and threatened a walkout. He criticized the disorderly conduct and urged members to speak in turn.
Later, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) legislator Nawabzada Zareen Magsi was granted permission to move a joint resolution. Presenting it, Engineer Zamrak Khan Achakzai praised the federal government’s decision to impose a climate and agricultural emergency and urged that flood victims in Balochistan receive relief through the BISP. He noted that while Punjab and Sindh have faced devastating floods, Balochistan’s agriculture-dependent economy is also at risk.
The resolution, which called for international support, was unanimously adopted after other lawmakers complained that aid often fails to reach affected communities in the province. Provincial Minister Mir Zahoor Buledi supported the resolution, attributing the crisis to climate change, poor planning, and alleged “water bomb” tactics by an “enemy country.”
The House also approved the amended draft law for the Balochistan Institute of Nephro-Urology. Another key resolution, proposed by ANP’s Malik Naeem Bazai, called for granting tehsil status to Aghberg. He argued that the area, with a population of around 60,000, met all requirements, and the upgrade would improve administrative facilities and public services. Provincial Revenue Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gello stated that the proposal must be reviewed by the Board of Revenue, and the Assembly later passed the resolution.
A separate resolution from JUI-F legislator Mir Zabid Ali Reki demanded the immediate completion of the 102-kilometer Nokundi–Mashkhel road project. He accused the federal government of neglect and corruption, noting that only a small portion had been completed since its 2020 allocation of Rs 4 billion. Provincial Communications and Works Minister Mir Saleem Khosa agreed, suggesting that the chief minister and legislators should meet with the prime minister to secure adequate funding for existing projects.
As the debate continued, Speaker Achakzai noted the lack of government members present. When Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman pointed out the lack of quorum, the Speaker deferred the remaining resolutions and adjourned the session until September 23.
