ISLAMABAD, Oct 6: Nationalist parties have drafted a 10-point charter of demand, including reconstitution of the parliamentary committee on Balochistan, with proper representation from the opposition as a condition to participate in the committee's proceedings.

Sources told Dawn that the charter would be presented by nationalist leaders at the first meeting of the committee scheduled for Thursday at the Parliament House. Opposition members, the sources said, were also considering a walkout and boycott of the meeting if the 10-point agenda was not accepted by the treasury members.

The Senate Secretariat on Sept 29, 2004, announced a 29-member parliamentary committee on Balochistan, with Pakistan Muslim League (PML) president and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as its chairman.

The body was formed in pursuance of resolutions passed by the Senate and National Assembly in their sittings on Sept 23 and 24,2004, respectively. The terms of reference of the committee, according to a notification, shall be to examine the current situation in Balochistan and make recommendations before both the houses within 90 days.

The committee has also been given the task to suggest steps for promoting inter-provincial harmony and protection of provinces' rights with a view to strengthen the federation.

The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has already expressed its concern over its 'under-representation' on the body, comprising 19 treasury and 10 opposition members from the Senate and National Assembly. The ARD has the representation of only PPP's Makhdoom Amin Fahim and PML-N's Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir.

The sources said ARD leaders contacted the nationalist parties on Wednesday and informed them about their reservations on the constitution of the committee. A source in the ARD told Dawn that the nationalist leaders had decided to boycott committee's meetings, in case more representation was not given to the PPP and the PML-N, the two major parties of the country.

The charter of demand has been drafted by Balochistan National Party (BNP) Senator Sanaullah Khan Baloch. When contacted, Mr Baloch said they wanted from the government to announce some "confidence building measures (CBMs) as a pre-requisite for talks" on the issue of Balochistan.

Explaining the demands, he said that all the political workers detained in the province should be released and FIRs against them be withdrawn. The nationalist parties also wanted pullback and withdrawal of all paramilitary troops and armed forces from all towns and districts of the province, he said.

He also demanded registration of cases against those officials of the law enforcement agencies who had violated laws and carried out extra-judicial killings.