December 05, 2006	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 13, 1427

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QUETTA, Dec 4: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf has said that the government believes in freedom of political activities and democratic rights, but it will not allow any political group to create disorder in the name of long march.

Speaking at a function on Monday in which two leaders of Balochistan National Party (Mengal) and National Party announced joining the ruling PML, the chief minister said that the writ of the government would be maintained at all costs.

Haji Naseer Khan Kakar, member of the executive committee of the BNP-M, and Jahangir Khan Bungulzai of the National Party expressed confidence in the PML leadership.

Jam Yousuf said that over the last four years the government had given full opportunity to political parties to present their programmes in public gatherings.

He said that despite reservations about rallies, the government did not stop peaceful processions.

He said that some political groups had been attempting to disturb people’s lives by inciting activists to take law into their hands by destroying public property in order to create a law and order problem.

Referring to riots in Quetta in August, the chief minister said that vehicles of the Balochistan University worth millions of rupees were destroyed and government offices and public buildings were damaged.

He said that democracy did not mean creating problems for others.

He said that the government would not allow any group and individual to challenge the writ of the government to exploit democratic rights and maintained that the government would not impose restrictions on public gatherings because in democracy every citizen had the right to express his point of view without hurting others.

The chief minister said that President Pervez Musharraf would visit Quetta on December 7, and expressed the hope that the president would announce a special package for the provincial capital and other areas of the province.

He asked the Quetta city nazim to improve the state of civic amenities in the provincial capital so that foreign and national dignitaries got good impression.

The chief minister urged nazims and naib nazims who had threatened to go on strike that they should come and discuss the matters with him to resolve the issue.

He said that the government supported the demands of nazims and councillors for funds for projects to provide facilities to people.

Federal Minister of State for Petroleum Mir Naseer Khan Mengal and City Nazim Mir Maqbool Ahmed Lehri also spoke on the occasion.