Budget allocation: Senate panel defers approval to Quetta Expo Centre

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce on Monday deferred approval of the budget allocation for the Quetta Expo Centre, citing disagreements over the project site between the Balochistan Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, and Commerce Minister, Jam Kamal, who is supported by Balochistan Senators and the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI).

The committee, presided over by Senator Anusha Rahman in a virtual session, discussed the current location of the Expo Centre near Saryab Road, a part of Quetta considered more vulnerable in terms of security than other areas of the provincial capital.

Officials from the Commerce Ministry and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) expressed differing views on the site. Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul said the provincial government had indicated the Chief Minister’s preference for maintaining the current location. Meanwhile, Secretary TDAP argued that the Saryab Road site was unsuitable for the Expo Centre, suggesting an alternative location near the Quetta Airport due to security concerns that could deter international and domestic visitors.

The Secretary TDAP also referenced a note from Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, recommending relocation of the site. Several Senators from Balochistan, including Bilal Ahmed Khan and Rahat Jamali, along with the Chairman of QCCI, supported the Minister’s position, warning that continuing with the existing site could render the PSDP-funded project, now revised to Rs 4.83 billion from its original Rs 2.5 billion, a non-starter.

The committee was informed that the provincial government has already gifted 25 acres of land in the industrial zone for the project, with 17 percent of the allocated amount spent on initial infrastructure and the boundary wall.

While Senator Anusha Rahman noted that the security risk is not limited to the proposed site but is a provincial concern, she acknowledged the government’s investment and the land donation. Following detailed discussion, the committee directed Secretary Commerce to arrange a meeting between the Minister for Commerce and the Chief Minister of Balochistan, preferably before Eid-ul-Fitr, to resolve the differences regarding the site, either confirming the existing location or identifying a new one.

The committee also withheld the budget allocation of Rs 50 million for FY 2026-27 until the site issue is resolved. Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan warned that if the site is not changed, the project may be scrapped, labeling expenditure at the current location as a “sinking fund.”

It was noted that the National Assembly Standing Committee had already rejected construction at the current site.

During the session, members also questioned the Export Accelerator for SMEs project, initiated by Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, for which the Commerce Ministry sought Rs 3 billion from the PSDP. The committee noted that the Export Development Fund (EDF) and the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce had previously rejected the project.

The Senate committee decided that the resolution of site disputes for the Quetta Expo Centre is a prerequisite for further funding and progress on the project.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026