Balochistan Government Launches Crackdown on Drug Mafia; Vows Transparency and Speed in Development Projects

Quetta: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has announced a province-wide crackdown on the drug mafia, reaffirming his government’s zero-tolerance policy against narcotics. The decision was made during a high-level meeting in Quetta to review the performance of provincial departments and the progress of development projects.
The Chief Minister emphasized that timely, transparent, and result-oriented completion of public welfare and development initiatives is the top priority of the current administration. “We must move away from outdated methods and bureaucratic sluggishness. Performance and accountability will be the only benchmarks of survival in government institutions,” Bugti asserted.
Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan provided a comprehensive briefing during the meeting, highlighting the progress in various sectors:
Industrial Development: 15 new industrial units have been established, and a major plan to shift Balochistan’s industrial estates to solar power—generating up to five billion units of electricity annually—is underway.
Education: Over the past year, 3,049 schools have been made functional, enrolling 234,779 children. Around 10,513 teachers were recruited and 17,907 trained, while 5,000 redundant positions were eliminated to reduce costs.
Solar Initiatives: 27,437 agricultural tube wells and 15,000 households have been converted to solar systems.
Social Welfare: 14,131 out-of-school children were reintegrated into the education system.
Women Empowerment: Balochistan’s first-ever Women Endowment Fund has been established.
Tourism: A comprehensive plan is in place to develop Hinglaj Mata Mandir as a world-class religious tourism destination.
Environmental Protection: Endowment funds for environment (Rs 500 million) and wildlife conservation have been launched.
Infrastructure: 1,328 kilometers of roads constructed, 927 development schemes completed at a cost of Rs 40 billion.
Revenue & Financial Reforms: Board of Revenue’s annual target rose from Rs 350 billion to Rs 500 billion. Rs 12 billion were saved in non-development expenditures through financial reforms.
Birth Registration: A record 653,000 children were registered in the last year.
Smart Schools: 380 schools have been equipped with smart boards, and a nutritional program for students introduced.
Agriculture: Launch of the “Kisan Card” to facilitate direct benefits to farmers.
Flood Protection: Completion of 362 flood protection dams.
Bugti also instructed all departmental secretaries to visit districts across the province to monitor development and public issues directly. He ordered completion of departmental approvals for small schemes by August 15.
The Chief Minister took notice of complaints regarding children enrolled in the Labour and Manpower Department’s Islamabad-based programs and called for an immediate report. He also demanded a detailed presentation on the Youth Skills Development Program next week, calling it a cornerstone of Balochistan’s bright future.
Regarding water scarcity in Quetta, the CM directed WASA and other autonomous bodies to become self-reliant revenue generators and take serious, sustainable steps.
Concluding the meeting, Bugti warned of strict action against negligence, corruption, and poor performance. “Only those who deliver will stay. Inter-departmental coordination must be strengthened to overcome development bottlenecks,” he said.