Interior Minister: 250,000 People Near Zahedan Live with Conditions and Amenities from 100 Years Ago

The Iranian Interior Minister states that approximately 250,000 people live with conditions, amenities, and standards from 100 years ago, just 10 minutes away from Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province. According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli made these remarks on Tuesday, October 25, during the 'Fourth National Conference on Scientific Progress and Development.' He said, 'Within a 10-minute distance from Zahedan, you encounter a place where 250,000 people live with standards, quality of life, and conditions from 100 years ago.' Mr. Rahmani Fazli did not specify the name of the county or area. Many Iranian news agencies did not publish this part of the Interior Minister's speech. He also mentioned that two divisions are stationed in Sistan and Baluchestan to 'create security and compensate for the lack of balance,' while the maintenance cost of these two divisions is 'twice the investment needed for the development of this province.' The Interior Minister further stated that Iran's planning system is 40 years old and is a 'sectorally centralized' system, and the country's budgeting system is based on activity and population. He added, 'Accordingly, the rest of the people in the regions of the country must leave their places of residence and move to large cities, which is also costly for the country.' According to statistics, Sistan and Baluchestan province has a poor status in many indicators. Nasser Kashani, the representative of Zahedan in the ninth parliament, announced last February that this province ranks last in all development indicators. Mehdi Tabatabai, the health deputy of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, also stated that Sistan and Baluchestan is among the three provinces in Iran with 'very insecure food conditions,' and about one-fifth of children under five years old in this province suffer from issues of thinness, underweight, and short stature. Morteza Riyasi, the deputy minister of education, also mentioned on November 1 that Sistan and Baluchestan had the highest number of 'mud and brick' classrooms in 2014. According to the 2006 census, out of the province's population of 2.35 million, more than 640,000 are illiterate. This province shares a 1,300-kilometer land border with Pakistan and Afghanistan and is considered one of the main routes for drug trafficking into Iran. Shahindokht Molaverdi, the Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, stated in March 2016, 'We have a village in Sistan and Baluchestan where all the men of that village have been executed.' In recent years, Sistan and Baluchestan has repeatedly been the scene of clashes between Iranian military forces and armed groups opposed to the Islamic Republic.