ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch on Monday directed that a state of the art forensic lab must be established in Balochistan to facilitate the local people as well as those of nearby regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

He gave this direction while chairing a briefing on the progress of PSDP projects under his ministry. He also gave directions to increase effective role of Ministry in facilitation of people, particularly in the underdeveloped areas.

Agha Hassan was briefed by heads of all attached departments, as well as the Secretary for Ministry of Science and Technology Ms Humaira Ahmed, regarding the ongoing projects and their progress. The Minister was pleased to know that the ministry is working on a variety of initiatives that would boost our country’s socio-economic status.

He appreciated the work of all departments and also gave directions for equitable progress in all provinces. He said people in distress should not be made to wait for weeks to get their samples tested from the major forensic lab in Lahore.

He was of the view that skill development centers must be established in multiple areas of Balochistan in order to empower the locals to maximize their employment opportunities under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He also reiterated that three new campuses of COMSATS University at Quetta, Jafarabad, and Gawadar, that are already approved, be established on priority basis to provide state of the art higher education facilities in general and uplift the standard of education in the field of Science and Technology in particular for the socio-economic uplift of the people of Balochistan.

Agha Hassan acknowledged the efforts of ministry to provide quality education to the people of Balochistan through Science Talent Forming scheme and upgradation of three schools at Quetta, Pishin, and Qila Saifullah to STEM program.