Zardari to convene all party meet to address problems of Balochistan

Islamabad, Apr 21 : To discuss problems and grievances of the people of Balochistan, PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari will convene an All Parties Conference (APC) in the next 10 days, said a party statement released here last evening.

Dates of the convention are yet to be decided. According to the party statement, the party would finalise the APC's schedule in consultation with the country's other political forces.

A committee headed by Zardari and consisting of Jehangir Badar, Mir Lashkari Raisani, Ijaz Jhakrani, Dr Babar Awan and Saadullah, would finalise arrangements for the APC, the Daily Times quoted the PPP statement as saying.

It further said that the committee members would contact leaders of political parties and stakeholders for participation in the APC.

Meanwhile, Zardari said that the PPP wanted to develop much-needed national consensus for addressing problems and the grievances of the people of Balochistan.

He said that the issues confronted by the people of Balochistan were - provincial autonomy, mysterious kidnappings of political activists, detention of political workers, grinding poverty, increasing militarisation of the province, the launching of mega projects without addressing the locals' concerns and the growing isolation of the people of Balochistan. "We must develop a national consensus to address these issues urgently," he said.

According to him, the PPP had already taken the initiative in this respect by apologizing to the people of Balochistan for the wrongs done to them in the past. Mere apology was not enough and concrete steps were required to address the grievances of Balochistan people, he said and added that he hoped that all political parties would cooperate with the PPP on the critical national issue for saving the federation.

ANI