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| 25 April 2005 | Monday | 15 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426 |
Jam stresses need for more gas exploration
QUETTA, April 24: Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf has said since the province’s major source of revenue was gas, more exploration was needed for enhancement of its income. Talking to visiting journalists from Sindh on Sunday, he claimed that all political groups in Balochistan, while demanding provincial autonomy, favoured that the centre should retain defence portfolio so that the ministry of defence could establish cantonments in the province according to its needs.
The chief minister further said that for economic progress of the people the exploration and utilization of the resources, particularly of gas, was necessary to ensure the continuity of development activities.
He asserted that the situation in Khuzdar, Panjgur, Gwadar, Wadh and Zhob was different in comparison to Kohlu as in the former areas if hindrance was created in the path of development projects, people would come out on the road to protest against the obstructions because people wanted progress.
Mr Yousuf claimed that the democratically-elected government in the province took decisions keeping in view the interest of Balochistan.
He said that we neither believe in the politics of confrontation nor do we make unnecessary objections, and added that the confrontation in the past had badly harmed the province.
About the Dera Bugti, the chief minister said that the situation had improved to a great extent in the light of positive talks between JWP leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and the federal government.
He said that the provincial government wanted to resolve all issues through mutual understanding and peaceful means, but no compromise would be made on the writ of the government.
Regarding the grievances of people in the province, he stated that in the past Balochistan was neglected besides the province had no representation in federal departments but the steps taken by President Musharraf removed that disparity.
Mr Yousuf said that there was no weight in the claims of nationalist parties that the Gwadar port or other mega uplift programmes would imbalance the demographic ratio in the province saying that every Pakistani had the right to reside in any part of the country or to look for a job there.
He, however, assured that the provincial government was ready to make legislation to impose restrictions on the new entrants to either get national identity cards or register their names in the electoral lists to the satisfaction of the nationalists to ensure the completion of mega projects.
He told journalists that land had been allotted in Gwadar to establish an industrial zone where investors would be facilitated with all necessary facilities.
Referring to the National Finance Commission award, the chief minister said that with a scattered population living in a vast area the province needed huge funds for provision of facilities to the remote areas.
He said that the president had flouted the idea of distribution of resources on a 50-50 basis hoping that the backward factor would be included to implement the resources on a 50-50 formula.
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