ISLAMABAD - Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan said Tuesday that provincial government was planning to move the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) for annulment of Reko Diq agreement.
The previous governments did not take the matter seriously as they did not make any strategic planning to cover up the loss incurred due to improper clauses in the agreement, he said while talking to a private news channel.
Jam Kamal said a fact finding commission would be formed to investigate and fix responsibility on those who had signed the Reko Diq accord keeping in view their own vested interests and thus causing a huge loss to the public exchequer.
The incumbent Balochistan government had been working to devise a proper mechanism for settling technical, fiscal and lease matters of Reko Diq, he added.
Balochistan CM says another company working to explore oil, gas reserves in Kohlu
The chief minister said today “a window of hope” had opened as it had been proved internationally that the area possessed huge mineral reserves.
The exploration under the Reko Diq agreement was carried out in only five per cent area while the untapped potential reserves of natural resources in rest of the area was yet to be explored, he added.
Replying to a query, he said with improvement of law and order in the province, another exploration company was working for exploration of oil and gas reserves in the Kohlu district, which would take around six months to yield results.
The potential reserves in the Kohlu district, when explored, would help meet country’s all energy requirements, he added.
To a question, he said the Quetta Safe City Project had been delayed for eight years due to inefficiency and incompetence of the officers involved. However, work on the project had been undertaken three months ago and it was expected to complete in next five months, he added.
As regards Gwadar, he said the previous governments had developed the city in papers and nothing was done on ground. Today the situation was different. His government had finally prepared the Gwadar Master Plan with the consensuses of all the stakeholders, including the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) and the local parliamentarians.
Under the Gwadar Master Plan, he said, the local population would not be dislocated as the old city would also be developed.
The provincial government, he said, would initiate four development projects in Gwadar, while the GDA had already started two public welfare projects, besides building water tanks to resolve water crisis in the city.
He said Gwadar was facing power crisis as at present it was getting a limited electricity supply from Iran. The area would be connected with the national grid within two years, he added.
He said Quetta was not directly connected to Gwadar by air as the people had to go to Karachi to reach the city. “China is working on the development of Gwadar Airport, which is likely to be opened for commercial flights soon,” he added.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was keen in uplifting Balochistan as evident from many development initiatives taken by federal government in the province.
To another question, Jam Kamal said today Balochistan was totally different from that of last decade, with 70 percent improved law and order. His government was bringing reforms in Levies Force to ensure security and protection to people.
He said within three months of the annual budget’s approval, work had been initiated on the projects costing 65 percent development budget. Work was in progress over expanding and carpeting of 35 roads of the Quetta city, besides Joint Road, Airport Road and Sabzal Road.
With the completion of four dams, 35 percent water problems of Quetta would be resolved, while the government had expedited construction work on Halaq and Burjul Aziz dams, he added.