March, 28 2005	Monday	17 Safar 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

DERA BUGTI/ ISLAMABAD, March 27: Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Jamhoori Watan Party leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti agreed on Sunday to constitute a three-member committee to oversee implementation of decisions concerning Balochistan. During their three-hour long meeting at Nawab Bugti’s residence, the two leaders discussed various suggestions to improve the situation in Sui and Dera Bugti. PML secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain assisted Chaudhry Shujaat, whereas Sardar Sher Ali Mazari, Mir Bramdagh Bugti and Tabash Bugti attended the meeting from Nawab Bugti’s side.

The committee will also suggest measures for restoration of law and order in Sui and Dera Bugti and to solve the issue of deployment of forces. It will have one representative each of Nawab Akbar Bugti and the government while Mushahid Hussain will monitor the committee’s work.

Talking to newsmen after the meeting, Chaudhry Shujaat said the talks were held in the context of previous dialogues that were confined to the Sui and Dera Bugti situation.

He said other issues of Balochistan would also be resolved but the present talks were mainly related to the Sui and Dera Bugti situation.

The PML chief asserted that when the government team visited Dera Bugti a few days back the situation was tense, markets were deserted and there was a sense of insecurity among the local people.

But on Sunday, he added, bazaars in Dera Bugti bazaar were open and “with the grace of Allah things will improve further”.

Chaudhry Shujaat said the meeting discussed the law and order situation and other issues, including deployment of Frontier Corps. He said both sides exchanged views on various suggestions.

When asked about the next meeting, the PML leader said it was more important to implement what had been decided. He said the important thing in the meeting was the confidence Nawab Bugti reposed in Senator Mushahid Hussain who would represent both sides in the committee.

Nawab Bugti said that talks with Chaudhry Shujaat and Mushahid Hussain were positive in which recent incidents came under discussion. He said it was a good beginning, although several things were still to be settled.

He said Chaudhry Shujaat had requested that details of the meeting might not be made public till a final settlement of the problem.

Nawab Bugti said that the meeting discussed the recent incident of violence in Dera Bugti and Sui in which local people were killed and houses were damaged, adding that all those killed in the clashes belonged to the Bugti tribe.

He claimed that most of the people killed were Hindus and, according to latest information, 33 members of the Hindu community were killed and 25 injured. Besides, their houses and a temple were destroyed.

The JWP leader said that as far as Balochistan issues were concerned, the parliamentary committee was reviewing them, adding that he was unaware about its progress as in the meeting the discussion was confined to Dera Bugti and the damage it suffered.

SHAUKAT AZIZ: Speaking to reporters after holding talks with Chaudhry Shujaat and Mushahid Hussain after their return from Dera Bugti, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that Chaudhry Shujaat’s meeting with Nawab Akbar Bugti was a positive step which would help restore peace in Sui and Dera Bugti.

Mr Aziz expressed the hope that the parliamentary committee would soon come up with proposals for resolving the Balochistan issue. Chaudhry Shujaat and Mushahid Hussain had driven straight to the Prime Minister’s House from Islamabad airport and briefed the prime minister for on their talks with the Baloch leader.

The prime minister said he was informed by the two PML leaders that normality was fast returning to Sui and Dera Bugti areas, which was a welcome change. He appreciated the efforts being made by the PML leadership to solve the crisis through political dialogue.

Mr Aziz called for early finalization of the parliamentary committee’s report and reiterated the government’s determination to implement it in letter and spirit. He said he was also ready to implement recommendations in parts.

Meanwhile, sources said that during the Shujaat-Bugti meeting, both sides agreed that security forces deployed around the Dera Bugti town would be withdrawn and the Bugti tribe in turn would ensure protection of vital installations in Sui and other places.

Nawab Bugti expressed resentment over recent statements of President Pervez Musharraf in which he had described him as a warlord, the sources said. Under the deal, the government would pay compensation to families, including those from the minority community, who suffered casualties in the firing on March 17.

Answering a question with regard to Chaudhry Shujaat’s four-day visit to India which starts from Monday, the prime minister hoped that it would help to improve the political relations between the two countries.

He, however, made it clear that unless Pakistan and India resolved the core issue of Kashmir in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiri people, peace could not be established in the region nor could normalcy in their bilateral relations be achieved.

Mr Aziz said Chaudhry Shujaat and his delegation would hold meetings with civil society leadership and government functionaries. He stressed the need for both countries to show flexibility in seeking a viable solution of the Kashmir dispute.