QUETTA: Unidentified attackers on Tuesday killed a Punjabi-speaking settler and burnt the official car of a Balochistan minister in two separate acts of violent in Quetta.

The Punjabi settler, identified as Mohammad Ajmal, was shot in Qili Bangulzai locality of Quetta, Ajmal was an employee of a caterer in the provincial capital.

The reason for the killing was not clear, but the incident appeared to be a part of the recent series of targeted killings of Punjabis in Balochistan.

No first information report (FIR) had been registered at the time this report was filed.

In a separate incident, unidentified men torched the official car of Haji Nawaz, minister for the Balochistan Development Authority (BDA).

The car was parked near Imdad Square on Jinnah Road when it was set ablaze. Nawaz is a member of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far.

Meanwhile, police shot a man and arrested another after they attacked a police patrol in Quetta, AFP reported. The two men on a motorcycle opened fire on the police party, which retaliated, killing one and managing to arrest the other, who was injured by the forces’ firing. "During the initial questioning he confessed to being a member of a group involved in drive-by shootings in Quetta and its suburbs," the provincial police chief said. malik siraj akbar/afp

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Current LG system root cause of corruption, lawlessness: Raisani

* Balochistan CM demands cancellation of deals with foreign companies

By Malik Siraj Akbar

QUETTA: The local government system is the cause of growing corruption and lawlessness at the grassroots level, Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani said on Tuesday. The chief minister said the government in Balochistan intended to replace the “Musharraf devolution plan” with a new system that would bring the district governments under the control of the provincial government.

Demands: Raisani reiterated his demand for cancellation of all agreements with foreign companies regarding the Gwadar Port, Reko Diq and Saindak signed by the previous government without taking the economic interests of Balochistan into account.

Raisani told journalists that his government was constantly in touch with the federal government to devise a plan to bring peace and prosperity to the province. In order to win the trust of the Baloch people, the federal government should cancel the agreements previously signed with foreign companies to run the Gwadar Port, Reko Diq and Saindak projects because the existing agreements did not serve the interests of the Baloch people. He demanded that a local of Balochistan should always lead the Gwadar Port Authority.

Raisani said the government was considering developing economic zones in Quetta, Khuzdar, Naseerabad, Uthal, Windar and Khanozai to boost the province’s economy. “A lot of countries have demonstrated their interest in investing in Balochistan. We will welcome foreign investment in the province,” Raisani said, adding that a special train would run from Rawalpindi to Iran and then to Turkey to attract investment to the province.

Given Balochistan’s large territorial area, the chief minister said new ports would be established in Ormara, Gadani and Pasni areas in the future for the purpose of lessen the burden on the Gwadar Port.

Raisani said Gwadar would start working as the winter capital of Balochistan every year from October 12. “Gwadar has very bright prospects of development. We have informed the federal government about our reservations about a few issues which could lead to the failure of the Gwadar project. Islamabad has assured to redress these grievances,” he said.

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