Day: July 15, 2026

Quetta: Balochistan Minister for Communications and Works (CandW) Mir Saleem Ahmed Khosa on Tuesday said that developing the infrastructure of Balochistan on modern lines is one of the top priorities of the provincial government because the role of the Communications and Works Department is fundamental in the development and prosperity of the province.

He said that providing quality facilities to the public and improving infrastructure depends on the effective and timely performance of the department.

He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting to review the progress and overall performance of the ongoing development projects of the Communications and Works Department.

Secretary for Communications and Works Babar Khan, Chief Engineer Federal Projects, Chief Engineers of all zones, Superintending Engineers and District Executive Engineers participated in the meeting via Zoom.

During the meeting, Secretary for Communications and Works Babar Khan gave a detailed briefing on the overall performan
ce of the department, ongoing development projects and other administrative matters.

He said in briefing that the progress of development projects is being regularly reviewed so that any technical or administrative hurdles could be removed in a timely manner and the projects to be completed.

He said that the Balochistan Public Service, the inclusion of 192 sub-engineers recently recruited through the commission would further improve the efficiency and performance of the department.

Addressing the meeting, Provincial Minister Mir Saleem Ahmed Khosa said that although the work on development projects is progressing at a satisfactory pace, there is a need to speed it up further in view of the public interest so that the projects could be completed within the stipulated period and the public could get timely facilities.

He termed the effective and transparent utilization of the development funds available during the last financial year as a major achievement of the department and appreciated the performance o
f the concerned officers.

The Minister directed all the Chief Engineers to visit their respective zones regularly, ensure monitoring of the ongoing projects and submit their visit reports regularly so that the pace and quality of the projects to be effectively reviewed.

Mir Saleem Ahmed Khosa emphasized that the mega development projects of important nature underway in the province should be completed within the stipulated period and no compromise on the construction quality would be tolerated.

He directed the Chief Engineers to review maintaining the progress and submit regular progress reports.

The minister further said that providing modern and sustainable facilities to the people of the province, whether related to highways or construction and development of government buildings, is the primary responsibility of the Communications and Works Department, and the department should aim to discharge this responsibility with integrity, transparency and professionalism.

Quetta: Alkhidmat Foundation Balochistan President Abdul Majeed Sarbazi visited Loralai district and inspected the under-construction Information Technology (IT) lab set up under the ‘Bano Qabil’ program, along with the Alkhidmat water filtration plant.

According to a statement issued by the spokesperson of Alkhidmat Foundation Balochistan, the visit included a review of the construction progress of the IT lab and the operational status of the water filtration plant.

Sarbazi reaffirmed his commitment to equipping local youth with modern IT education and providing clean drinking water to the area’s residents.

He said Alkhidmat Foundation Balochistan is working to build a stable society through the provision of education and basic amenities.

Quetta: Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhel on Tuesday termed the establishment of the first Digital Entrepreneurship (Entrep) Won-it in provincial capital Quetta is a positive initiative to promote business trends in the province.

He said that Won-it is actually a unique digital entrepreneurship platform to adapt to modern digital business trends, adopt innovative ways of doing business and ensure economic independence.

He expressed these views while addressing at a program organized by Digital Entrepreneurship Won-it at BUITEMS University. All the finalists of the Digital Entrepreneurship Program presented their business concepts in an interesting and competitive pitch show, which the Governor of Balochistan commended. Parliamentary Secretary for Population Welfare Prince Agha Umar Ahmadzai, Vice Chancellor of BUITEMS University Dr. Khalid Hafeez, Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Mirwais Kasi and Chief Executive Officer of Won-it Umar Ajmal were present on the occasion along with faculty members of the University.

The Governor highlighted that its aim is to provide a national platform for talented youth with new business ideas and startups where they could present their business ideas, get guidance from experts and get business grants to turn their dreams into reality.

While paying tribute to the efforts of Chairman Won-it Prince Agha Umar Ahmadzai and his entire team, the Governor said that the aim of establishing Digital Entrepreneurship Won-it was to promote new business trends and entrepreneurship in Balochistan, highlight innovative business ideas of youth at the national level, provide capital, guidance and networking opportunities to startups and encourage economic self-reliance.

He noted that introducing these new trends would help us present a positive, talented and progressive image of Balochistan to the world. Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhel said that the youth of our province are no less than anyone in hidden talents, so it is important that they are provided with all the necessary opportunities and facilities.

He maintained that with the establishment of Digital Entrepreneurship, talented youth should now take full advantage of equal opportunities to hone their skills, start their own businesses and become financially independent, in this way, they would be able to turn their dreams into reality.

Quetta: Security forces killed four more Khwarij terrorists as the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC), and Balochistan Police continue the joint Operation Shaban.

Security sources said that the total number of terrorists killed during Operation Shaban has risen to 83. They said the terrorists were being targeted through coordinated air and ground operations.

They said the security forces were carrying out effective operations against terrorists belonging to Fitna al Khwarij in the area. As a result of the sustained offensive, the terrorists have suffered heavy losses, the sources added.

Since July 5, security forces have killed a total of 121 terrorists during Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations (IBOs), the security sources said. The sources said Operation Shaban would continue across Balochistan until the last terrorist would be eliminated.

Quetta: Deputy Commissioner Quetta Meharullah Badini chaired an important meeting to review the performance of the first day of the anti-polio campaign. The session was attended by officials from the Health Department, EPI, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other partner organizations.

The meeting discussed the progress of the campaign’s opening day, team performance, coverage, challenges faced in the field, and immediate solutions.

DC Mehrullah Badini directed that no child should be left without polio drops, stressing the importance of continuous monitoring of field teams.

He instructed officials to ensure follow-up visits to households where children were initially missed and to utilize all available resources to make the campaign successful.

He also appealed parents to cooperate fully with vaccination teams and ensure that all children under five years of age receive polio drops to protect them from lifelong disability.