BALOCHISTAN ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE -

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Economic Infrastructure; Balochistan Province

Balochistan is a gateway to the landlocked Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan. Efforts are being made to link the (currently under-development) Gwadar port with the railway network of the country, and eventually to extend it up to Turkmenistan to create an integrated railway link between India, Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, and other Central Asian Republics.

Roads and Transport – Rail and Airways – Radio and Television – Telecommunications – Post Offices/ Courier Services – Banking/ Financial Services – Electricity – Education – Health – Policing

Road Statistics; Balochistan

According to Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19, the province has a total of 42,911 km of topped roads out of which 22,537 km are black topped and 20,374 km are shingle roads. The black topped roads include National Highways, and Provincial Highways. The following table shows a list of National Highways and motorways and their length[1] in Balochistan:

National Highway N-10 (Makran Coastal Highway)	653 km
National Highway N-25, (Karachi-Bela-Khuzdar-Kalat-Quetta-Chaman)	790 km
N-30 (Basima-Khuzdar)	110 km
N-40 (Lakpass, near Quetta-Dalbandin-Taftan)	610 km
N-50 (D I Khan-Zhob-Kuchlak near Quetta)	388 km
N-65 (Sukkar-Sibi-Saryab, Quetta)	295 km
N-70 (Multan-D G Khan-loralai-Qila Saifullah)	266 km
N-85 (Hoshab-Panjgur-Nag Basima-Surab)	487 km
Motorway M-7 (Dadu-Dureji-Hub)	138 km
Motorway M-8 (Gwadar-Hoshab-Khuzdar-Ratodero)	828 km

Table 2.13 Balochistan Highways

There are a number of mega road projects being constructed by the National Highway Authority.

Figure 1.34 Balochistan Road Map[2]

Rail and Airways; Balochistan

Pakistan Railways has a total of 1,202 km of railway routes in Balochistan province, with 56 railway stations in different parts of the province.[3]

Quetta was linked to other parts via train during the British Raj. There is a Trans-Balochistan Railway line that runs from Quetta to Taftan (Iran) and from there to the Iranian City of Zahidan.

The main railway stations of the province are Quetta, Chaman, Dalbandin, Mach, Nushki, Sibi, Spezand Railway Junction, and Taftan Railway Station.

Figure 1.35 Quetta Railway Station

Figure 1.36 A Train Passing Through a Tunnel in Bolan Pass

Radio and Television; Balochistan

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) is the State-run radio service for Pakistan. PBC has 04 AM frequency radio stations in Balochistan and 2 FM frequency radio stations, one each in Quetta and Gwadar.

Telecommunications; Balochistan

According to the Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19, there are 103 telephone exchanges in the province, providing 62,467 landline telephones, 24,022 wireless phones and 44,330 broadband connections in the province.

Post Offices/ Courier Services; Balochistan

Pakistan Post is the main enterprise offering a wide range of postal products and public services not only in Pakistan but in Balochistan as well. Pakistan Post is providing a variety of services on behalf of many federal and provincial government departments.

In addition to the Pakistan Post Urgent Mail Service, there are a number of courier services in the province.

According to Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19, there are 211 post offices in the province.

Banking/ Financial Services; Balochistan

According to the Balochistan Investment Guide by Small, Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA), the following banks and DFI’s have their branches in Balochistan:

Allied Bank Ltd.
Askari Bank Ltd.
Bank Alfalah Ltd.
Bank Al-Habib Ltd.
Bank Islami
Bank of Khyber
Faisal Bank Ltd.
First women Bank Ltd.
Habib Metropolitan Bank Ltd.
Habib Bank Ltd.
KASB Bank Ltd.
Khushali Bank Ltd.
Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd.
Meezan Bank Ltd.
My Bank Ltd.
Royal Bank of Scotland
Silk Bank Ltd.
SME Bank Ltd.
Soneri Bank Ltd.
Standard Chartered Bank Ltd.
United Bank Ltd.
Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd.
National Bank of Pakistan

According to the “List of Reporting Bank Branches 2019” by State Bank of Pakistan there are a total of 544 branches of scheduled banks in the Province.

Electricity and Gas; Balochistan

Balochistan Power Development Board (BPDB) was set up in 2007, to assist IPPs and Small Power Projects (SPPs) with set up and operations. The Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) looks after supply and transmission of electricity in Balochistan.

At present, there is no Hydel Power Generation in Balochistan, but the province is rich in coal resources; the quality of this coal is considered to be good for electricity generation. The following table shows the Thermal Power generation of Balochistan:

Thermal Power Station Quetta	35 MW
Gas Turbine Power Station, Panjgur	39 MW
Thermal Power Station, Pasni	17 MW

Table 2.14 Balochistan Thermal Power Generation

The following table shows the energy being provided by IPPs:

Hub Power Project	1,292 MW
Uch Power Ltd.	586 MW

Table 2.15 Balochistan IPP Power Generation

In addition, Micro Wind Turbines have been installed in Balochistan. These are providing electricity to individual houses, and are located in Lasbela and Quetta districts. Some villages in Balochistan are also receiving power/electricity through Solar Power. The following map is the Electricity Generation and Supply Map of Balochistan.[4]

Figure 1.37 Balochistan Electricity Generation and Power Supply Map

[1] Source: National Highway Authority Pakistan, Official Website

[2] Retrieved from: http://www.travel-culture.com/images/maps/balochistan-road-map.jpg

[3] Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19

[4] Balochistan Conservation Strategy by IUCNP

Educational Institutions; Balochistan

The following table shows the number of government-owned educational institutions in the province (Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19):

Institution	Boys/Girls	Institution	Boys/Girls
Primary Schools	8,472/3,234	Mosque Schools/Madrassas[1]	1,095
Middle Schools	836/582	High Schools	731/395
Community School	574/224	Higher Secondary	49/28
Degree Colleges	31/20	Teacher’s Training	18
Universities (Private)	02[2]	Universities[3]	07
Medical Colleges	01	Tibb & Homeopathy Colleges	2
Colleges (Management Sc.)	–	Polytechnics[4]	10/02
Dental Colleges	–	Vocational Training Inst.[5]	59/63/15 (both)
Cadet Colleges	05	Agriculture College	01
Law Colleges	01	College of Physical Education	02
Teacher’s Training[6]	06/03/03 (Both)

Table 2.18 Balochistan Governmental Educational Institutions

The following table shows the Private Sector Institutions in the province[7]:

Institution	Boys/Girls/Both	Institution	Boys/Girls/Both
Pre-Primary	01/-/10	Primary	73/31/393
Middle	10/06/279	High	18/04/157
Higher Secondary	02/01/13	Colleges	1/1/-

Table 2.19 Balochistan Private Educational Institutions

Figure 1.40 National University of National Languages (NUML), Quetta

Figure 1.41 Bolan Medical College, Quetta

Healthcare Facilities; Balochistan

The Department of Health is headed by the Minister of Health, and the Secretary of Health is in charge of the department, assisted by the Director General Health Services, who, in turn, is in charge of 05 Directors, 08 Provincial Co-ordinators, 02 Project Directors, and 19 Deputy Directors.

The following table shows the Government Health Care Institutions in Balochistan province as per Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19:

Institution	No./beds	Institution	No./beds
Teaching Hospitals	01/750	Hospitals	49/4,146
Rural Health Centers	95/970	Basic Health Units	670/-
Dispensaries	548/-	Mother Child Health Centers	90/-
TB/Leprosy clinics	23/-	Private Hospitals	83/2,537
Private Dispensaries	19/-

Table 2.20 Balochistan Health Institutions

There are a total of 2,272 doctors in the province; of these, 1,810 are male and 462 are females.[8]

Policing Balochistan

The Inspector General of Police, Balochistan, is the overall commander of Balochistan Police. The hierarchy is as follows:

4 Additional Inspector Generals (AIGs): one each of Administration, Counter Terrorism Command, Commandant Balochistan, and Regional Police Officer, Quetta
9 Deputy Inspector Generals: one each of Capital City Police, Quetta; Special Branch, Quetta; Balochistan Constabulary, Quetta; Director Crimes Branch, Quetta; Headquarters, Central Police Office, Quetta; Highway, Traffic, and Patrolling, Quetta; Telecommunication CPO, Quetta; Anti-Terrorist Force, Quetta; CID Balochistan
Commandant Police Training College, Quetta
Regional Police Officer (RPO) Zhob at Loralai, and RPO, Kalat, and RPO Nasirabad

There are 6 police regions in Balochistan. They are: Quetta, Zhob, Kalat, Makran, Nasirabad, and Sibi. Each region comprises of a number of Police Districts.

There are 125 Police Stations in Balochistan (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics; Number of police Stations by Divisions and Districts)

Figure 1.42 A Mannequin Showcasing Traditional Baloch Jewelry

Figure 1.43 Traditional Baloch dance

Figure 1.44 Baloch Camels

Figure 1.45 A Spring in Balochistan

Figure 1.47 Makran Coastal Highway (N-25)

[1] Policy Analysis of Education in Balochistan, UNESCO Islamabad, 2011; Latest available.

[2] Iqra University, Quetta; Balochistan University of IT, Engineering, and Management Science

[3] University of Balochistan, Khuzdar; SBK (Women University) Quetta; University of Balochistan, Quetta; Agriculture, Water & Marine Sciences, University, Lasbela; University of Turbat, Turbat; University of Loralai, Loralai; IT University, Quetta

[4] Pakistan Education Statistics 2016-17 by National Education Management Systems; Latest available.

[5] Pakistan Education Statistics 2016-17 by National Education Management Systems; Latest available.

[6] Pakistan Education Statistics 2016-17 by National Education Management Systems; Latest available.

[7] Pakistan Education Statistics 2016-17 by National Education Management Systems; Latest available.

[8] Balochistan Development Statistics 2018-19