QUETTA - A delegation led by Abdul Mateen Akhunzada, Convener of the Quetta Development Mahaz, on Wednesday visited the office of the Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN) here. Brig Agha Ahmad Gul (R), consultant BTTN, while talking to the delegation described the historical background of Balochistan and its limitations and constraints regarding various development indicators.  He emphasised that the province was ‘not left behind’ rather it was behind other provinces since its inception, the reason lied in the fact that the province came into being 127 years later than others. He furthermore highlighted the present-day issues of Balochistan. Water being the most critical issue followed by the quality of education. He emphasised that water crisis needed to be managed smartly and judiciously and a recycling mechanism was the need of the hour not only for socio-economic betterment of Balochistan, but indeed, for the survival of its people. Dr Zafar Khan, Executive Director BTTN, introduced in detail the Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN), its foundation, faculty of research and the organisation’s mandate. The convener of the QDM, Abdul Mateen Akhunzada said that like BTTN their organisation was nascent in nature. He lamented that Quetta city had no ownership at the moment and unless Quetta was managed on modern lines there was no hope. He also gave his perspective on the betterment of the society including women empowerment and socio-economic problems faced by Quetta in particular. He acknowledged that Balochistan remained in desperate need of credible research in order to resolve the myriad issues and challenges it faced today.  Akhundzada also highlighted the province’s backwardness and attributed it to poverty and scarcity of water for irrigation. “The cross-border trade or smuggling has become a compulsion as the people living astride Iran and Afghanistan borders actually have no other source of employment or income,” he said.