The Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday passed two key amendment bills aimed at strengthening the province’s legal and public service framework.
The session was chaired by Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai. The house approved the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 Balochistan Amendment Bill after Provincial Minister Mir Saleem Khosa, representing the home minister, presented the legislation.
The bill was approved in line with the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs.
The assembly also passed the Balochistan Citizen Facilitation and Governance Bill 2026, which was presented by Mir Saleem Khosa on behalf of the home minister. The legislation was approved after the house considered recommendations from the relevant standing committee.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan Cadet Colleges Amendment Bill 2026 was tabled in the assembly but was referred to the relevant standing committee for further consideration instead of being put to a vote.
During the session, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MPA Mir Zabid Reki protested after he was stopped at the airport while travelling to Jeddah to perform Umrah.
Speaking on a point of order, Reki said the incident constituted a violation of his parliamentary privilege. He alleged that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials had prevented him from travelling and told him that he had been declared a terrorist.
According to Reki, FIA officials informed him that the additional chief secretary (home) had blocked his passport and placed his name on the Passport Control List (PCL) and Exit Control List (ECL).
He said he attempted to contact Hamza Shafqat for an explanation but received no response.
“I have always spoken about constitutional and democratic rights. Let me know what my crime is,” Reki said.
He questioned the reason for being stopped from travelling, noting that he had previously faced militants in Washuk but was now being labelled a terrorist in Quetta.
Reki demanded that the government clarify whether he had any links to a proscribed organisation and, if so, present the evidence before the assembly.
He also called for the concerned official to be summoned and asked to provide evidence supporting the allegations, saying he would resign from his assembly seat if such evidence was produced.
During the protest, Reki threw his passport onto the floor of the assembly.
Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti condemned the incident involving Reki and said the additional chief secretary had been summoned to his chamber to provide an explanation.
The chief minister, however, also criticised Reki for throwing his Pakistani passport on the floor of the assembly.
Former chief minister and MPA Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, speaking on a point of order, urged the provincial government to immediately release funds for language academies, saying the suspension of funding was affecting academic and literary activities across the province.
He said representatives of the academies had informed him that their funds had been withheld.
Dr Malik stressed that language and literary institutions also required government support and should be given due consideration in the allocation of provincial resources.
“Roads and drains continue to be built, but funds for the academies should also be released,” he said.
He urged the government to ensure regular funding for the academies so their educational, literary and cultural activities could continue.
Opposition Leader in the Balochistan Assembly Mir Younus Aziz Zehri questioned the delay in establishing an inquiry committee to investigate alleged irregularities in recruitment within the Forest Department.
Speaking on a point of order, Zehri said Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti had earlier announced an inquiry into allegations surrounding the recruitment process. However, he said, the government subsequently cancelled the posts in question.
