02 February 2005	Wednesday	22 Zilhaj 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, Feb 1: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Tuesday agreed to boost the political initiative aimed at resolving the Balochistan issue and to implement the recommendations of the parliamentary committee envisaging both short-term and long-term solutions.

Chaudhry Shujaat, accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi and National Security Council Secretary Tariq Aziz, met Mr Aziz at the Prime Minister's House to brief him on his meetings with Baloch and Sindhi leaders aimed at finding a negotiated settlement of the Balochistan crisis.

The PML president had held a meeting with Ponam chief Attaullah Mengal last week at Karachi and on Monday he met a number of Sindhi leaders. Significantly, after those meetings, he expressed the confidence that the parliamentary committee's recommendations would help resolve the issue.

Chaudhry Shujaat urged the prime minister to take early steps for the implementation of the parliamentary committee's report which suggests measurers to redress grievances of the Baloch leaders vis-a-vis gas royalty, increase in lease money and job quota for the province.

He also discussed with the prime minister the overall political situation in the country. The prime minister said it was the government's desire that the issue be resolved through negotiations and mutual understanding.

The government, he said, was providing maximum resources and funds for the development of Balochistan on a priority basis. He said the resolution of the problem was all the more important for the continuation of development works and completion of mega-projects.

Chaudhry Shujaat said the special package being prepared by the federal government for the development of Balochistan should be finalised at the earliest and implemented on priority.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Chaudhry Shujaat in the next round of his political initiative will meet key Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. Some members of the parliamentary committee from Balochistan are also expected to attend the meeting.