Interior Ministry directed to submit viable policy
ABDUL RASHEED AZAD
ISLAMABAD: While showing grave concern over open sale of explosives/dynamites in parts of Balochistan, Senate Standing Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas has directed Interior Ministry to come up with a viable policy on the matter as per recommendations of the panel.
The parliamentary panel meeting held here with Senator Usman Khan Kakar in the chair on Wednesday to discuss the issue of explosives licenses in Muslim Bagh and other areas of Balochistan. The parliamentary body recommended the government to adopt an identical policy on the use of explosives/dynamites in mining and other related industries.
Senator Kakar said that in Muslim Bagh area of Balochistan, dynamite license was awarded to some retired government officer who after getting the material is selling it in open market where the explosive material was not only being sold at higher rates but in violation of set rules and regulations. He said that in the areas a box of explosive was being sold in the open market at Rs250,000 per box which in reality costs Rs25,000. He said that dynamite licenses must be issued to the locals instead of outsiders as local law enforcement agencies (LEAs) can monitor the locals while monitoring outsiders was not an easy task. The Interior Ministry has issued explosive license to the firm working in Muslim Bagh while other people applied for the explosive licenses have not been awarded the licenses, he added.
Kakar said that in Muslim Bagh, Qilla Saifullah district, only one firm owned by a retired government official was awarded license for the use of explosive for industrial use, while authorities have declined to issue licenses to other applicants.
Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmad said that the open sale of explosive material in Pishin and other parts of province was posing a serious threat to the law and order and the authorities should have check on it.
Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini said that Balochistan is full of natural resources and the authorities concerned must make it easy for the people of the province to tap these natural reservoirs with ease. He said that this will help generate job opportunities for the locals at their doorsteps, reduce migration and greatly help minimizing the youths' tendency to negative activities.
The panel directed the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Industries and Production to hold a joint meeting on the subject and bring a consensus policy to address this issue.
The officials of the Ministry of Interior informed the panels that at present explosive licenses are being awarded as per 1894 Act which is too old and the authorities are considering National Explosive Policy in collaboration with all the stakeholders in this regard. They said that as per the article 144 of the Constitution, the federal government will be authorized to make policy and required legislation on account of explosive licenses.
The panel rejected the proposal of Interior Ministry, saying when as per 18th Amendment of the Constitution, provinces are authorized to make their own rules on industrialization and other issues and now why the federation is trying to rollback the rights given to the provinces.
Senator Kabeer Ahmad said that 17 ministries were transferred to provinces as per 18th Constitutional Amendment of which 12 have been transferred back to the federation on this account or that.
The officials of Ministry of Industries and Production informed the panel that explosive license was being issued after issuance of no objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Interior. They said that the ministry doesn't hesitate to issue an explosive license if a firm acquires a license from Ministry of Interior.
The panel directed the authorities concerned to decide the matter of issuance of explosive licenses to those applicants who after fulfilling the legal requirements submitted applications for licenses within three days. The committee directed the officials to formulate a viable policy on the issuance of explosive licenses within a month and share it with the committee.
Senator Jamaldini said Balochistan being a mineral rich province as well as the most backward area of Pakistan needs special attention of the federal government, adding that such complaints must be removed immediately because such complains are just adding salt to the injuries of the locals and creating sense of deprivation among the masses.
Senator Azam Khan Musakhail said that the government and other relevant agencies must formulate a comprehensive mechanism to address all complaints of masses to end sense of deprivation among them.
