Poor Road Infrastructure Major Cause of Insecurity and Terrorism in Balochistan: Senator Talha Mahmood

Islamabad: Senator Talha Mahmood has stated that poor road infrastructure in Balochistan is a major contributor to lawlessness and terrorism in the province.

The remarks were made during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications, chaired by Acting Chairman Senator Jam Saifullah Khan. The committee was briefed on the Ministry of Communications’ budget proposals, budget utilization, the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2025–26, and development plans for the upcoming fiscal year.

During the session, the Secretary of the Ministry of Communications faced tough questions from Senator Talha Mahmood regarding budget utilization. The senator stressed that development projects in Gilgit, Booni, and Chitral should not be mixed and insisted that agenda items be taken up separately, in line with committee procedures that require individual briefings for each item.

He also objected to the late submission of working papers, calling it a deliberate practice that deprives committee members of adequate preparation time. “In the national interest, the committee must be given sufficient time to prepare,” he said.

Clarifying his position, Senator Talha Mahmood stated that the committee was not opposing the government but aimed to work collectively to resolve issues. However, he emphasized that agenda items one and two must be cleared first and unnecessary mixing of subjects would not be accepted, as it hinders meaningful discussion.

The meeting also raised serious concerns about the quality of road projects. The committee chairman directed that construction standards similar to the Multan–Sukkur Motorway be ensured in future contracts. In response, the CEO of the National Highway Authority (NHA) stated that NHA projects do not belong to any single government, adding that decisions are taken at the government level and halting funding for projects worth over Rs430 billion would not serve the national interest. He further claimed that there had been no political interference in any of the 71 ongoing projects.

Senator Talha Mahmood warned that revisions to projects often lead to a fourfold increase in costs and called for identifying those responsible. He questioned whether institutions had ever formally recorded their observations, stating that flawed policies were resulting in the wastage of national resources.

Reiterating his concerns, he said that poor road conditions in Balochistan significantly contribute to insecurity and terrorism, noting that stronger link roads would facilitate security forces. Committee members also observed that lack of infrastructure is a major reason behind population displacement and security operations in the province.

Concluding the meeting, Senator Talha Mahmood demanded the presentation of complete records of all projects and stated that the Planning Commission would be summoned if required.