Balochistan Assembly Session Adjourned Due to Lack of Quorum; Four Bills Passed, Expansion of Assembly Building Under Consideration

Quetta: The Balochistan Assembly session was adjourned for the second consecutive time on Thursday after failing to meet quorum, while lawmakers managed to pass four legislative bills before proceedings were suspended.
The session, chaired by Speaker Captain (R) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, began with discussions on points of order. During the proceedings, opposition members protested over the non-allocation of offices to chairpersons of standing committees.
Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti responded that the offices had not yet been handed over because the relevant building was still under administrative transfer. He further stated that two reports had been sought regarding the assembly building, which could remain functional for another 20 to 30 years. He clarified that claims linking demolition plans to Nawab Akbar Bugti were baseless.
The Chief Minister also informed the house that an architect had been engaged to assess potential expansion options for the existing structure. A final decision on whether to renovate, expand, or construct a new building would be taken in a meeting scheduled for Monday. He emphasized that the government aimed to resolve all issues through consensus.
Provincial Minister Haji Ali Madad Jattak suggested that a new assembly building should be constructed instead. However, BNP Awami MPA Mir Asadullah Baloch argued that well-functioning institutions matter more than buildings and supported the idea of expanding the current structure.
During the session, reports from standing committees regarding the Balochistan Judicial Academy (Amendment), Civil Procedure Code (Amendment), Balochistan Public Service Commission (Amendment), and Probation and Parole laws were presented and subsequently approved by the House.
Separately, BNP-Mengal’s MPA Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman raised concerns over alleged land allotments to influential figures in Gwadar, claiming that long-term residents were still deprived of ownership rights. Provincial Revenue Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gello asked the legislator to specify names and locations to enable a formal response, stating that proposals from areas such as Bukhsh Colony and Kalanch had been forwarded to the Chief Minister for approval.
The session was eventually adjourned until May 5 after quorum was pointed out and found incomplete.