ISLAMABAD Jan 3: Former prime minister and president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on Monday that Balochistan's provincial autonomy issue would be addressed and resolved more effectively than the province's people could expect.

Mr Hussain said this while talking to newsmen after presiding over a meeting of special parliamentary committee on Balochistan at the Parliament House. He said that Baloch and Pakhtoon nationalists were "part of us" and not strangers. "We are alive to (the issue of) their rights and would address their reservations."

The meeting was attended by MNAs and Senators from the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the ruling PML. Mr Hussain said that it was a good omen that legislators, both from the treasury and the opposition, were unanimous on a just resolution of issues concerning Balochistan.

He said that constitutional and political issues concerning Balochistan would be resolved through consensus. In this connection, two sub-committees under Wasim Sajjad and Mushahid Hussain were in the process of finalizing their reports.

He said the recommendations of the sub-committees would be submitted to the parliamentary committee and all the contentious issues would be taken up with the federal government.

He said the committee had heard the viewpoints of all Balochistan leaders and "we would resolve the genuine issues of the province in the light of these negotiations". Replying to a question, he said that with the completion of Gwadar port, coastal highway and other mega projects, Balochistan will enter in the era of development and prosperity.

The PML chief said the issue of provincial autonomy for Balochistan would be resolved during the rule of General Musharraf. He added: "We will strengthen the centre alongside removing the reservations of Balochistan's nationalists."