14 January 2005	Friday	03 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: A Baloch politician from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) on Thursday proposed imposition of governor's rule in Balochistan for some time to restore law and order in the troubled province.

In an interview with Dawn, Mir Shahjehan Khetran, a member of the PML central executive committee and a former diplomat, said the government should pay more attention to public issues in Balochistan rather than try to satisfy "opportunists and vested interests".

"Governor's rule should be imposed (in Balochistan) for a limited period during which the provincial assembly should also remain suspended," he said. "That will be suitable for the time being to restore law and order," he added.

Mr Khetran blamed unspecified "opportunists" for the prevailing law and order situation in the province. But he said Balochistan should have a respectable local figure as governor rather than somebody from another province, as was the case now.

He asked the government to avoid taking a "threatening posture", that, he said, could complicate rather than solve the problems. Mr Khetran said he did not expect the present parliamentary committee on Balochistan to be of any use to improve the situation in the province.

"This committee is useless, it has produced no result, it has no authority," he said about the body, which has already been boycotted by at least one Baloch opposition party.

CHANGE MINISTERS: Mr Khetran urged the PML to bring in honest people from Balochistan in the federal and provincial cabinets to replace what he called corrupt people who had been involved in cases investigated by the National Accountability Bureau.

He said the government must ensure completion of various projects for people's welfare announced or inaugurated by President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during their recent visits to Balochistan.

He also called for establishment of industrial zones in Balochistan and an increase in the federal employment quota for the province, which has little scope for private sector employment. Mr Khetran said it was because of lack of employment opportunities that "people are being hired" to create law and order problems.