Sadiq Sanjrani presides over meeting constituted by PM to look into the Sui Mining Lease & other issues raised by Govt of Balochistan

ISLAMABAD, June 13 (SABAH): Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani presided over the meeting constituted by Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to look into the Sui Mining Lease and other issues raised by Government of Balochistan on Tuesday at the Parliament House.

The committee was apprised about the historical background of the Sui Mining Lease and subsequent MoA with special reference to the salient features of the agreement. The Chairman Senate highlighted the significance of the agreement having far reaching effects on the social and economic uplift of the Province of Balochistan.

The Chairman Senate recommended to expedite the renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement and clear the outstanding amount of lease Extension Bonus based on the provisions of Memorandum of Agreement of 2016 which is more than Rs. 45 billion from June 2015-2023. The Secretary Petroleum said that 6 billion quarterly payments will be made to the Balochistan government, on which Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani said that the Prime Minister of Pakistan had directed the payment of 32 billion rupees.

Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and Federal Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar directed the authorities concerned to amicably resolve the issue at the earliest.

Issue of slow Pace of Construction and meager allocation for Karachi to Chaman Dual Carriageway was also discussed. The chairman remarked that even after the Prime Ministers directive to complete the said project, the pace of work is slow adding to the hardships of the people.

On the question of establishment of Technical University in Quetta the committee was apprised that a campus of National University of Technology (NUTECH) Islamabad will be established in Quetta in first phase. However, establishment of a university can be considered in the long run after fulfilling the codal procedures and formalities. The Chairman Senate also inquired about the Rehabilitation of National Highways in Balochistan. He said that during the floods of 2022, majority of the National Highways falling in Balochistan were severely damaged which includes 7-8 minor bridges connecting Karachi with Quetta. 

The chairman Senate also reiterated the enhancement of allocation for the projects under South Balochistan package and provision of special Development Package for Northern Districts of Balochistan.

The Chairman appreciated the initiative of the government to declare the Gwadar as Gwadar Special Economic District (GSED) and termed it a milestone to promote economic development of Balochistan and Pakistan. He sought detailed report on the steps taken in this regard. Minister for Finance also informed about the updated status of funds under the NFC.

The committee was given detailed overview about the PSDP allocation made for different projects, officials informed that Balochistan Province has been allocated, huge funds under PSDP for the on-going as well as newly conceived projects. Complete overview of the PSDP allocation was presented before the committee. Members of the committee gave their recommendations and proposals to make the projects more feasible and result orientated. Chairman Senate acknowledged the cooperation of the Ministries present during the meeting. He hoped collective wisdom and commitment to the cause would help in achieving the desired goals, thus bringing the province of Balochistan at power with the developed regions of the country.

Chaired by the Chairman Senate, Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani,  the meeting was attended by, Minister for Finance and Revenue, Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar,  Minister for Economic Affairs, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Minister for Science & Technology , Agha Hussain Baloch, Minister of State for Petroleum, Musadik Malik, Senator Manzoor Ahmed kakar, Senator Abdul Qadir, Senator & Parliamentary Leader BAP Mr Khalid Hussain Magsi, MNA &Parliamentary Leader BAP, and other senior officials of related departments.