Quetta, the seat of the Provincial Government, needs more and more open spaces warranting the concerned authorities to shelve all plans to add to the concrete jungle to the disadvantage of the local residents.

Quetta is a small valley which is highly congested and consequently dangerously polluted making life of the people risky. It is unfortunate that the rulers and administrators paid no attention to improve the quality of life by extending civic services and amenities. The corrupt and dishonest officials plundered its resources meant for developing Quetta as a model Provincial Capital for the past many decades.

They had disposed of the Government property to the favorites or allowed the Qabza Group to encroach upon the Government land. Recently the Mutton Market had been vacated not for improving ecology of the Quetta Valley but to earn commissions, kickbacks and favor their political constituents by all means.

The vacated plot should be an open space where the Government or the QMC should undertake block forestation to defend the climate and provide an open and healthy space for the people to breathe.

We have drawn the attention of the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary and all the Members of the Provincial Assembly to ensure that there is no addition to the concrete jungle in Quetta and the recently vacated plot of Mutton market should be used only to improve the climate and curtail the pollution causing chest diseases and cancer among the larger number of residents of Quetta.

There is only one Liaquat Park in the main city center. The powerful people and gangs encroached upon and succeeded in dozens of concrete buildings in its premises. The concrete buildings are ever expanding with every passing year shirking the open space or the small patch of green belt. Even the corrupt and dishonest had an eye to build more concrete buildings on the small park in the hope to get kickbacks and commission.

The Chief Minister should intervene in this matter and should not allow converting any vacated land into a commercial venture and he should defend the interests of the people by being the sole custodian of people’s legitimate interests in Balochistan. If the present leadership failed to defend the climate or human friendly, then there will be no other option but to shift the future capital somewhere else.

The administrative and commercial capital of Balochistan should be established side by side. There is a shortage of water in the entire valley and the Government is unable to resolve the issues related to climate. If the Government recycles waste water for the green belt of Quetta, then there is hope that Quetta will survive.