Daily Times

KARACHI: The Federal Government should defer its census process until law and order in Balochistan improves, Baloch leader Akhtar Mengal said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference, the Balochistan National Party (BNP) chairman added that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would benefit only one province. In the project, Balochistan will receive only one percent of development, Mengal said. Mengal was flanked by Sindh United Party chief Jalal Mehmood Shah at Haider Manzil.

Quoting the Balochistan’s Chief Secretary, he said that not a single yard has been allocated in Balochistan for the project.

Development of Balochistan depends on electricity, natural gas and clean drinking water, he said.

He said, “If the federal government has concluded any secret deal for the development of Balochistan it should be made public and foreign interference of any kind or of the country should restricted in these projects.”

“Punjab is making a fool of us as it has already done the same with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

Provinces should be given autonomy according to the 21st Amendment. All institutions of Balochistan are paralysed and corruption is the name of the game, Mengal added.

About 70 percent of casualties took place in Civil Hospital Quetta due to absence of first aid.

Later, he announced to hold a march against corruption on March 26 from Numaish Chowrangi to Karachi Press Club. The Sindh United Party will also join the march.

He said the federal government should defer its census process until normalization of law and order situation in Balochistan.

“The provincial government has to push back the agitators towards hills tracks,” he added.

On the occasion, Jalal said both the parties would jointly struggle against terrorism and corruption.

“As a first step, we have decided to organise a march against corruption in Karachi on March 26.”

“Our common struggle is to bring real federal governance in which natural resources, provincial autonomy for provinces, immigrants should be returned to there native countries and local languages should be given the status of national language and joint struggle against extra-constitutional steps,” he concluded.