September 17, 2006	Sunday	Sha'aban 23, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Sept 16: Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Salim Saifullah Khan has said that parliamentary committee’s report regarding Balochistan should be made public.

“I do not know more details about the report, but it should be made public and debate should be held on it in parliament,” Mr Khan told a questioner during a press conference on Saturday here. Some 30 recommendations of the total 35 had already been implemented, he said without elaborating.

He said that there were other Baloch leaders, but Nawab Bugti had himself chosen a path of confrontation. The minister said that the federal government was working on several fronts to make laws which would ensure more provincial autonomy.

A committee under Waseem Sajjad, leader of the Upper House, had been working on the subject of provincial autonomy for the past 18 months, besides the National Reconstruction Bureau and some political parties. A bill by the PPP is being cobbled together to be presented in a shape of bill before parliament.

“We want the province to get its share from the government equitably and ensure that the NWFP and Balochistan receive royalties on electricity and gas respectively,” he said. According to him there was a need to amend the formulas under which the provinces would get their due share from the federal government.

Amendments in formulas, he said, would enable the provinces to get more funds and they would not be dependent on the federal government for their financial needs.

He also suggested that the issues regarding royalty of gas and electricity should be resolved by the Council of Common Interest.

He added that the federal government had already granted the right of adult franchise to the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and was taking more steps to bring there reforms.

He said that the president’s visit of Afghanistan was a success in a way that both the sides had agreed to stop blame game and launch joint struggle against Al Qaeda and Taliban resurgence.

“The president in Brussels didn’t say that all the Pakhtuns were Taliban. But more Pakhtuns are Taliban. The president was misquoted,” he added.

About the division of Punjab into more provinces, he said that there was no move on this count, as this was the personal opinion of Federal Minister Dr Sher Afgan. However, he said that there was no harm in more provinces.

Mr Khan said that a reviewed version of the Hudood Bill would be tabled in parliament soon after its review by the select committee of the parliament and hoped that it would be passed. The government, he said, was committed to protect the honour of the women.