ISLAMABAD - Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said Friday that 18 new modern passport offices would be established in Balochistan to facilitate the people at large. Finance minister gave these remarks during a meeting with Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch.
The committee formed by the Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Thursday headed by secretary finance to resolve, among other issues, the matter regarding payment of compensation to Mirani Dam affectees, submitted its report here Friday. During the meeting with Abdul Malik Baloch, the finance minister said that affectees would be paid after reconciliation of figures of damage estimates. He said it was after a long period of eight years that this problem was being addressed. He said both the federal and provincial govts would make efforts to alleviate the problems of the affectees on emergency basis. It may be recalled that an amount of Rs 1.5b has already been paid to the affectees over time. Rest of the amount would be paid in due course.
The minister also apprised the chief minister about the establishment of 18 new modern passport offices throughout the length and breadth of Balochistan to facilitate the people at large. The Ministry of Planning and Development (CDWP) has approved the PC-1 of this project which would soon be submitted to the ECNEC for consideration.  On this occasion, the FBR chairman briefed the chief minister that customs checkposts at different key locations in Balochistan were already functional and that establishment of new checkposts as desired by the provincial govt would be accorded due consideration to regularise business and trade activities.
There was complete consensus during the meeting on activating the Gwadar Port to its full potential as it would greatly add to the national revenue.
 CM Abdul Malik Baloch thanked the finance minister for the prompt action taken on various issues including payment of compensation to affectees of Mirani Dam.