March 29, 2006	Wednesday	Safar 28, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, March 28: The government will soon hold a grand jirga in Balochistan to overcome unrest in the province by involving all tribes in the dialogue process, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said. Talking to reporters at a function here on Tuesday, the federal minister said the government would not initiate dialouge with people who had already backed out of peace agreements. “We will not negociate with Nawab Akbar Bugti,” he said.

The minister said that all quarters concerned and political parties were being taken into confodence about the holding of the grand jirga.

Referring to the closure of the US consulate in Peshawar, the minister said the consulate would re-open in two or three days. “It is not closed down because of security reasons,” he said.

The minister said the US mission did not received any threat.

However, an official of the US Embassy had told the press that the counsulate had been closed down after receiving threats. But he did not elaboate.

About the meeting of the Pakistan-US joint working group scheduled to be held in the first week of April in Washigton, the minister said the meeting was of great significance.

The interior minister would lead Pakistan’s delegation and would depart for US on April 2.

He said the joint working group would discuss terrorism, human trafficking, and other security issuse. “I will meet FBI and Homeland Security chiefs and other important officials,” he said.

The interior ministry had also requested the government to allow interior secretary to accompany the interior minister, adding that the rules did not allow the minister and secretary to simultaneously avail foreign visits, a source said.

Additional Secretary Interior Chaudhry Qamar Zaman and director-general of the National Crisis Management Cell Brig Javed Iqbal Cheema would accompany the minister in the US tour.

A source said that Pakistan would raise the issue of the last month’s American security forces’ attack in the Bajaur Agency from Afghanistan side.

The sources said that the issue of training of Pakistani police and security forces on modern lines by US experts would also be discussed.

Meanwhile, secretary interior said that the joint working group could only forward its recommendations to both the governments, adding that its inputs would be used for policy-making.