12 September 2004	Sunday	26 Rajab 1425

QUETTA, Sept 11: Chief Minister Jam Yousuf has said big oil and gas reserves have been discovered in Zarghoon while more reserves were found in Bolan district.

Speaking on Saturday in Ziarat at the inauguration ceremony of the gas supply to Ziarat and its surrounding areas, he said work was underway on massive scale for exploration of mineral resources, specially oil and gas, in various areas of Balochistan.

The chief minister said: "We are struggling for a better future, development and prosperity with the help and cooperation of President Gen Pervez Musharraf."

He said: "It is our desire to explore the natural resources of Balochistan for the people."

Mr Yousuf said previous government made false promises and tall claims about launching development projects but did nothing, whereas the present government was taking particle steps.

He said with the personal interest of President Musharraf the problems of Balochistan were being resolved.

Mr Yousuf said that by providing natural gas to the people of Ziarat the natural beauty of area would be restored, because precious Juniper forest would be protected from cutting it for firewood.

He said that Quetta was facing population influx due to the non-availability of basic facilities in other areas.

The chief minister said for stopping such a huge influx of the people steps should be taken for providing basic facilities in Kuchlak, Dashat and other surrounding settlements. He said natural gas should also be supplied to those areas.

Mr Yousuf directed the authorities concerned to speed up the work on gas supply to Kalat.

Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Jadoon, BAlochistan Minister for State Petroleum and Natural Resources Mir Naseer Mengal, CorpsCommander Lt-Gen Shahid Hamid and Balochistan Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani were also present on the occasion.

ACCIDENT: Three people were killed and 20 others injured, four of them seriously, when a passenger bus tuned turtle at the RCD highway near Kalat on Friday evening.

The passenger bus coming from Quetta was on its way to Panjgur.

When it crossed Kalat, the bus overturned at a sharp turning, resulting in the death of three passengers on the spot.

The driver of the bus was among the dead who was identified as Mohammad Ibrahim. The names of two other victims of the accident could not be known.

Local officials from Kalat rushed to the accident site and removed the injured to Kalat Civil Hospital. Later, four seriouly injured people were shifted to Quetta.