NHA’s Withholding of Payments to Balochistan Contractors Is Open Economic Exploitation: Punjab and Sindh Dues Cleared, Why Discrimination Against Balochistan? — Contractors Association

QUETTA (Daily Qudrat Quetta) — President of the All Balochistan Government Contractor Association Balochistan, Mir Abdul Salam Lango, and Deputy General Secretary Salahuddin Kabzai, expressing concern over the halt in outstanding payments to NHA contractors, have appealed to Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan to take immediate notice and ensure payments to contractors. They said this while talking during a meeting with the owner of Shah Builders, Agha Wazir Shah. In the meeting, detailed discussion was held on the political situation, the problems faced by the contractor community, and especially the long-delayed outstanding payments of National Highway Authority (NHA) contractors. It was decided in the meeting that an effective course of action would be adopted on the issue of NHA’s outstanding payments, and the case of Balochistan’s contractors would be presented forcefully before the relevant senior authorities. On this occasion, the participants, expressing deep regret and concern over the continuous delay by NHA in payments to Balochistan’s contractors, asked Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan why this discriminatory treatment is being meted out to Balochistan’s contractors. The participants said that they have received information that contractors of Sindh and Punjab have been paid their outstanding dues, while Balochistan’s contractors are still awaiting their legitimate dues. If this information is correct, it is tantamount to open economic injustice and discriminatory treatment against Balochistan. They said that Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan must understand that Balochistan’s contractors are not begging anyone for charity but are demanding their legitimate dues for their hard work, investment, and completed development work. Central President Mir Abdul Salam Lango said that Balochistan’s contractors are already suffering from inflation, machinery losses, security issues, and a financial crisis; in such circumstances, withholding their payments is tantamount to their economic exploitation. He said that the All Balochistan Government Contractor Association strongly demands that Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and senior NHA officials immediately pay all verified outstanding dues of Balochistan’s contractors, conduct a transparent investigation into the alleged discrimination in payments between provinces, and not plunge Balochistan’s contractors into further economic difficulties. Economic injustice against Balochistan’s contractors will not be accepted under any circumstances.