Gilani approves Balochistan panel's proposals

Islamabad, July 28 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the proposals of committee on Balochistan have been approved.

Talking to mediapersons at the Prime Minister's Secretariat here on Tuesday, Gilani said consultations will be make with all stake holders on the proposals submitted by parliamentary committee on Balochistan and a jirga or an all party conference would be called.

The Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan had presented its recommendations to Gilani on Monday to improve the political, economic, administrative and law and order situation in the province.

Chairman of the committee Mian Raza Rabbani compiled the recommendations for resolving the issue on the directions of the prime minister.The prime minister was apprised that the committee constituted by him had made a comprehensive set of proposals to and bring the province at par with other parts of the country.

The meeting decided that the federal government would deliberate on these proposals while taking all the stakeholders on board before proceeding further to call the All Parties Conference (APC).

According to sources, Rabbani, while drafting the suggestive multi-faceted strategy for removing the sense of deprivation of the people of Balochistan, is considering the four reports on Balochistan that include his 15-point strategy for Balochistan that he presented in the Senate, the Mushahid Hussain committee report on Balochistan, the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto committee report and the Balochistan Assembly resolution on Balochistan issues.

Sources said Rabbani has called for the initiation of a political dialogue with all forces, including those who have been forced to take shelter in the mountains.

He also proposed the release of all political prisoners, expeditious recovery of missing persons, judicial inquiry into the murder of Baloch leaders, including Nawab Akbar Bugti, by superior judiciary, rationalisation of royalty on natural resources, rationalisation of federal excise duties, restructuring of laws on civil armed forces in the province, the NFC award should be constituted keeping the size, revenue generation and poverty in mind, removal of check-posts from the province as demanded by the provincial assembly, implementation of all unanimous resolutions of the Balochistan Assembly and withdrawal of forces from Sui and other parts of the province.

Besides Rabbani, the other committee members are Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Minister for Privatisation Syed Naveed Qamar and President PPP Balochistan Senator Haji Mir Lashkari Raisani.

Gilani confirmed that consultations have been completed on dissolution of local bodies and that the PPP-led government had the support of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) on the issue.

Gilani also said that ending the country's current power crisis was his government's top priority.

According to The News, he said new power plants would be inaugurated every month and if the media had any reservations on rental power plants, he was ready to discuss the issue in parliament. (ANI)