10 March 2005	Thursday	28 Muharram 1426

QUETTA, March 9: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammed Yousuf said here on Wednesday that police action for the recovery of illegal arms and ammunition was neither an extra-constitutional act nor a military operation.

Talking to newsmen after his return from Islamabad, he said the government was fulfilling its responsibility to protect the life and property of the people.

He dispelled the impression that the government drive for recovering illegal weapons had been creating unrest among the people. "There is no unrest in the province on this issue," he said, and added that a majority of the people was appreciating the government campaign.

The chief minister said the government had been ensuring protection of human rights while conducting raids for the recovery of arms and ammunition from different areas. "Only those elements are creating unrest whose interests are hit due to the recovery of illegal arms and ammunition," Jam Yousuf said.

He said the people expected that the government would maintain the supremacy of law and protect their lives and properties. The government could not be a silent spectator when the life and property of the common man was at stake, he added.

The chief minister said the overall law and order situation was normal and in control of the government. However, it was tense in some areas due to various reasons, he conceded.

Responding to a question regarding political reconciliation, he said PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was making all possible efforts in this connection which, he hoped, would bring fruitful results.

He said he believed in party discipline but the point of view of the elected Balochistan government should also be accommodated. It was a wrong impression that the entire province was against Islamabad, he added.

Chief Minister Jam Yousuf said the development process was in progress in Balochistan as the provincial government was taking all possible steps with the help and consultation of the federal government. "I am optimistic about the proposed economic and constitutional package for Balochistan."

Balochistan would get more than was being demanded by the opposition parties, he claimed, adding: "We will not, however, allow anyone to run a parallel government and take all steps for maintaining the writ of the government."

Replying to a question, the chief minister said the claims of some political parties about the displacement of people from their homes were not correct. "The government has no such plan. However, action will be taken against the houses which will be used for dumping illegal arms and ammunition," he added.

He invited the people from all walks of life and representatives of human rights organizations to visit the area from where the law enforcement agencies had recovered illegal arms and ammunition and give their independent opinion in this regard.

Jam Yousuf rejected the opinion of the nationalist parties that with the development of Gwadar and other areas of the province the majority of the local people and their political rights would be affected.

Political power would remain in the hands of the sons of the soil as the people of Hub were enjoying despite huge industrial development, he said. Replying to a question, he said it was President Pervez Musharraf who had been paying special attention to the development of Balochistan.

In the past, he added, no government had taken such important steps for the uplift of 'this backward province'.

Gwadar port, he said, would play a very vital role in the development of the whole region and change the standard of life of the poor people who would get 100 per cent jobs and other incentives, which had already been ensured by the federal and provincial governments.