Pakistan: Balochistan govt expresses anger over financial crisis, blames centre for situation

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 18 : The Balochistan government has expressed anger over the financial crisis, Dawn reported. The Balochistan government has claimed that the financial crisis has been caused by Pakistan federal government's action to not pay the province's constitutional share in the NFC award.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo on Tuesday criticised the "negative attitude of the federal finance and planning ministries," as per the Dawn report.

During the meeting, it was informed that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced a grant of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 10 billion for the rehabilitation of flood-affected people. However, the money was yet to be released after 10 months, as per the Dawn report.

Pakistan's PM had ordered the finance and planning ministries to address the issue, however, nothing has been done so far. Balochistan ministers said that the negative attitude of the federal government was causing resentment and frustration among the people in the province, as per the news report.

The provincial government has decided to lodge a strong protest with Islamabad over the issue, Dawn reported. A delegation headed by the Balochistan CM and comprising the provincial ministers, senators, MNAs and leaders of the parliamentary parties will raise the issue with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif.

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee, Balochistan University, Teachers, Officers and Employees Association in May called on the authorities to release PKR 1.11 billion by June 2023 in order to pull the University of Balochistan out of the financial crisis, Business Recorder reported.

Professor Fareed Khan Achakzai and Shah Ali Bughti, leaders of the Joint Action Committee, Balochistan University, Teachers, Officers and Employees Association raised the demands while addressing a press conference at Quetta Press Club, as per the Business Recorder report.

They said that academicians, officers and employees of the university had not received their monthly salaries for the past three months. They said that they have been on strike for the past one and a half month, calling on the authorities to get their monthly salaries released. They, however, said that the authorities were not paying attention to their demand.

Earlier in April, it was reported that Balochistan University was facing lots of financial crises and all the departments have been closed due to the non-availability of funds, Pakistan vernacular media Jang reported.

The university's teaching and non-teaching staff were also on strike due to non-payment of salaries. The oldest university of Balochistan was in extreme trouble while Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has been claiming about revolutionary steps in the education sector, as per the news report.

The university's annual expenditure is more than Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 3 billion whereas the current deficit is more than PKR 1 billion and there is a need to find out a permanent solution as soon as possible, according to Jang.