February 25, 2007	Sunday	Safar 7, 1428

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QUETTA, Feb 24: Provincial chief of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani has claimed that Islamabad has agreed to give Balochistan 50 per cent share from the federal divisible pool under the NFC Award.

He was addressing a press conference here on Saturday.

Maulana Sherani said that in the next NFC award, federal resources would be distributed among the provinces on the basis of indicators other than population, adding that it would be formulated after taking into account under-development, territory and needs.

He said that after several meetings, President Gen Pervez Musharraf had agreed to his suggestions about the federal resource distribution formula.

Maulana Sherani also claimed that President had authorised him to resolve the Balochistan issue but contact could not be established with Nawab Akbar Bugti. He said that President Musharraf was ready to accept any of his decisions except displacing the Bugti tribesmen from Dera Bugti and torture cells of Nawab Bugti.

“We tried our level best to resolve the issue but contact was not established with Nawab Bugti because the JWP leaders did not cooperate,” Maulana Sheerani insisted.

He denied reports about the launching of a new security forces’ operation in Balochistan and said that there was no operation in progress and the situation in the province was no different from the one prevailing in the country. “Balochistan is a part of Pakistan and not vice versa. We must not see the situation in any part of the country in isolation,” he said. He said that issues would be resolved through negotiations and mutual consultation.

He also refuted western media reports about training and recruitment in local Madressahs and said: “(I fail to see) how militants could be trained in Madressahs,” adding that only “Maulvis lived in Madressahs”.

Terming the Afghan president’s allegations a propaganda ruse, he said: “(President) Karzai himself is a remnant of the Cold War and is responsible for current situation in Afghanistan,” Maulana Sherani remarked.

Referring to the issue of the merger of Levies into the police force, the MMA’s provincial chief said that the alliance had not backed down from its demand, adding that it still considered Levies a better force than police.

Questioning the logic of abolishing the Levies force in Balochistan, he said: “The law and order situation is better in areas commanded by the Levies.” He said that leaders of the alliance had argued with the government but they had been unable to persuade it to change it decision.

He said that JUI-F had always preferred to enter into an alliance with nationalist parties but they considered the party a political orphan. “We will give preference to nationalist in future, too. They should come and join us in forming the government. We will not demand any ministry from them,” Maulana Sherani said.

About the Shariat Bill, he said that there was no need to debate the bill in the assembly as He said that there was no need to bring the Shariat Bill in the assembly as traditional ‘qazi courts’ were still working under the ‘Dewan-i-Kalat’ (tribal justice system) in southern districts of the province, while laws imposed in the northern districts were according to the Sharia.

Maulana Sherani supported the idea of providing maximum autonomy to the provinces and said that the Centre should only retain the subjects of defence, interior, foreign affairs and communications and all other subjects should be handed over to the provinces.

He condemned the Quetta suicide attack and said that no religion allowed such inhuman acts.