Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad in partnership with the Association for Integrated Development (AID) organized a workshop at Quetta Press Club on July 06, 2012 to discuss the issues of governance and security in Balochistan. During the workshop, most of the speakers lamented the governance failure under the current coalition government due to rampant corruption and misuse of financial resources. The biggest indicator of financial corruption is amount of money given to each Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA). According to estimates each of some- 58 ministers and advisors enjoy the hand-outs worth at least Rs. 250 million. Also, it is the first time that the entire development budget has been distributed among MPs.
Dr Ishaq Baloch, the Senior Vice President of National Party, said no attention is being paid to organize police network and to improve their capability to combat crime. He observed on the one hand a helicopter and luxury vehicles are provided to senior police officials and on the other police and Levies personnel do not have modern arms and ammunition to fight acts ofterror. ‘The federal government has provided billions of rupees to the Balochistan government but still a sense of deprivation is prevailing among the local people as these funds have not been spent on the welfare of the people,’ the NP leader lamented. Talking about the law and order situation, he said it is the provincial government which called in the Frontier Corps to maintain law and order in the province. He said if adequate funds had been provided to police and Levies Force and their training capacity improved, they would have been able to stop target killings and other heinous crimes in the province.
BNP-M Information and Cultural Secretary Advocate Agha Hassan said criminals involved in heinous crimes like abductions for ransom, highway robberies and target killings have been operating with impunity in almost all parts of the province, including Jhalawan and Makran, since former President General (Retd.) Musharraf era. He said although huge funds are being spent on the maintenance of law and order, acts of terror and killings of Baloch, Hazara and people belonging to other ethnic groups living in the province were continuing in different parts of Balochistan.
Hazara Democratic Party spokesman Muhammad Raza Wakeel said foreign elements with the support of local people are involved in target killings of people of the Hazara community in Balochistan. He alleged a conspiracy had been hatched to spread hatred among localHazara, Baloch and Pashtoon communities to create void against them and to destroy this beautiful province which was rich in mineral resources.