Balochistan Planning Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmad Buledi has said Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s criticism of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) was presented out of context. Speaking at the Turbat Press Club on Friday, Buledi defended the FWO performance in Balochistan as commendable, and praised the body’s work on the province’s highways.
Buledi said the organisation had rendered invaluable services in building highways across Balochistan. He recalled that personnel had lost their lives during construction of the Hoshab-Panjgur-Surab Highway, known as the N-85. Daily Qudrat, which covered the same event, reported that the minister put the number of lives lost at 39.
Buledi’s defence of FWO performance
Buledi was speaking at an informal dialogue programme at the Turbat Press Club auditorium. He said the provincial government was giving special attention to infrastructure, education, healthcare and youth employment. Subject specialists for chemistry, physics, biology and English are being appointed in schools to raise teaching standards, he said.
He accused political opponents of working against the province’s progress. He named the Hub Industrial Zone, Gwadar Port, Mirani Dam, Gishkor Dam and the South Balochistan Package, and said opponents had run negative campaigns against these projects even though they matter for the region’s prosperity.
How the row began
The row began in the Balochistan Assembly in late October. National Party leader Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, a former chief minister, criticised the contracting process for road projects and alleged that the FWO awarded work according to its own preferences. He also said the body cited security concerns to explain delays, and noted that most project directors were based in Karachi or Islamabad rather than Quetta.
Chief Minister Bugti agreed with the criticism. He said even roads in his own area had deteriorated, and claimed the FWO handed projects to smaller subcontractors, which led to poor execution. He said the elected assembly shared these concerns. On National Highway Authority projects, he said security challenges had affected some schemes and the government was addressing the issue.
The projects at stake
The N-85, the Hoshab-Panjgur-Surab Highway, is one of the roads at the centre of the debate. In August, the Communication and Works Department reviewed progress on the first two phases of road-sector projects under the Balochistan Socio-Economic Development Programme. The department’s secretary, Babar Khan, told the meeting he was dissatisfied with the slow pace of work on certain critical projects.
Buledi’s defence does not settle the questions raised in the assembly. The concerns about subcontracting and the pace of work remain on the record, and the August review shows the province’s own officials have also raised concerns about the pace of road work.
The clarification comes at a sensitive time for the province. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail has called for unity to restore peace in Balochistan, and a sit-in in Qila Abdullah ended this week after the authorities recovered an abducted man and reached an agreement with protesters.
The provincial government has other files open at the same time. Registration of seminaries in Quetta is being fast-tracked, and a Senate panel has sought a 20-year record of gas royalty payments.
Dawn reported Buledi’s remarks from Turbat, and Daily Qudrat reported the same event, including the figure of 39 lives lost during construction of the N-85.
Frequently asked questions
Why did CM Bugti criticise the FWO?
In the Balochistan Assembly in late October, CM Bugti said the FWO’s performance in the province had fallen short. He said roads in his own area had deteriorated and claimed the body handed projects to smaller subcontractors, which led to poor execution.
What did Minister Buledi say in reply?
Buledi said Bugti’s remarks were presented out of context. He defended the FWO performance in Balochistan as commendable, and said the organisation had rendered invaluable services in building highways, including the N-85, where personnel lost their lives.
Which projects did Buledi name in his defence?
Buledi named the Hub Industrial Zone, Gwadar Port, Mirani Dam, Gishkor Dam and the South Balochistan Package. He said opponents had run negative campaigns against these projects even though they matter for the region’s prosperity.
How many lives were lost building the N-85 highway?
Daily Qudrat reported that 39 personnel lost their lives during construction of the Hoshab-Panjgur-Surab Highway (N-85), according to the minister.
