December 8, 2003	Monday	Shawwal 13, 1424

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QUETTA, Dec 7: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf has expressed concern that the federal government did not honour its commitment with the provincial government that it will assist the latter financially to implement its Rs9 billion public sector development programme.

An official statement said that Jam Yousuf had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali while he was in Karachi on Saturday night, and informed him that if the federal government did not release Rs3 billion immediately then the provincial government would have no other option but to stop the development process.

The prime minister has assured the chief minister that all matters related to the ministry of finance will be settled on his return from abroad, according to the official handout.

It quoted the prime minister to have maintained that the federal government would fully cooperate with the Balochistan government to continue its uplift programmes.

The chief minister stated that his government had contacted the federal minister for finance and also approached the ministry of finance, pinpointing the hardship faced by the province due to financial constraint “but the response from the other side was not positive.”

Jam Yousuf informed the prime minister that “we would accept the funds if provided directly from the head of gas royalty, and Gas Development Surcharge (GDS)” as suggested by the finance ministry.

He added: “We want all issues to be settled amicably in accordance with the spirit of federation and (the) Constitution.”

He drew the attention of Mr Jamali towards the at-source deduction of outstanding dues against Balochistan by the federal finance secretary from the grant provided by Italy for the development of areas where Afghan refugees were residing.

Jam Yousuf asserted that the federal secretary had no power to deduct the amount on the pretext that the grant was provided by the Italian government for Balochistan so that amount should be released to the provincial government for spending it according to the needs in the areas concerned.

“On arrival of President Pervaiz Musharraf, we would collectively discuss with him the issues,” the statement concluded.

allegation: An official spokesman has refuted the allegations of the Mengal tribe jirga against the provincial government that it is either encouraging hatred amongst the tribes or ignoring the natives in the exploration of natural resources.

The spokesman, on Saturday, clarified that Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf was trying hard to resolve the tribal feuds in the province and he had written letters to members of the opposition benches that the government would cooperate to tackle the disputes peacefully.

The government was making concerted efforts to protect the rights of the locals in the development projects including the Gwadar project, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, some elders of the Mengal tribe have challenged the holding of a jirga in Wadh on Thursday stating that it was a public meeting of a political party that attempted to promote the party interest.

Mir Fateh Mohammad Muhdzai Mengal and others spoke at a press conference at the Khuzdar Press Club said that they boycotted the jirga. They also said that even the chief of the Mengal tribe did not attend the jirga.