Balochistan Assembly Passes Four Resolutions Unanimously, Pishin Division Proposal Deferred Due to Absence of Mover

Quetta – The Balochistan Assembly on Friday unanimously passed four significant resolutions, including immediate action on the Zhob Bypass Project, raising the age limit for birth registration from 20 to 30 years, bifurcation of NA-260 into two separate National Assembly constituencies, and officially declaring Dr. Mehrullah Tareen as a martyr. However, a resolution to grant district Pishin the status of a division was deferred due to the absence of its mover.
The assembly session, chaired by Speaker Captain (R) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, commenced with a 40-minute delay. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) MPA Fazal Qadir Mandokhail presented a resolution highlighting the severe traffic congestion in Zhob caused by heavy vehicles passing through the city on a daily basis. These traffic jams not only affect daily life and emergency services but also hinder business and education. He emphasized the urgency of the Zhob Bypass Project, for which financial bidding was held by the National Highway Authority (NHA) on April 25, 2024, but no contractor has been awarded the project so far. The resolution urged the provincial government to push the federal government and NHA for immediate implementation. It was supported by former Chief Minister Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, PML-N’s Zarak Mandokhail, and JUI’s Asghar Ali Tareen, and was passed unanimously.
In a separate resolution, Mandokhail also called for amending the 2021 directive by the Local Government and Rural Development Department, which currently requires individuals over 20 years of age to approach a civil judge for late birth registrations. He argued that this process is unaffordable for the majority of Balochistan’s poor population and recommended increasing the age threshold to 30 years while delegating authority to local council chairmen and administrators. The assembly unanimously adopted this resolution as well.
JUI MPA Mir Zabid Ali Reki introduced another resolution to divide NA-260 (Rakhshan Division), which is the largest constituency in Balochistan by area and population, into two separate constituencies. He stressed the socio-economic backwardness of the region and the need for better representation. This resolution also received unanimous support from the house.
A resolution to elevate district Pishin to divisional status was postponed due to the absence of its sponsor.