July 02, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 16, 1428

QUETTA, July 1: The Jamhoori Watan Party has called upon the federal government to use Balochistan’s outstanding gas royalty in flood-affected areas of the province.

The party demanded that the entire province should be declared a calamity-hit area because the recent cyclone, rain and floods had caused widespread devastation.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club on Sunday, JWP senior vice-president Haji Ashraf Khan Kakar and secretary-general Mehta Vishishar Nath Kohli said that agriculture tax and utility bills should be waived for one year.

They said that helicopters used in the anti-Baloch operation should be used for rescue and relief work in the calamity-hit areas.

They demanded that the military operation should be stopped in Balochistan and all detained persons, including the son of party chief Mir Shahzain Bugti, should be released.

They said that the provincial autonomy bill presented by the JWP in the Senate should be tabled again.

They said that the JWP believed in constitutional struggle to achieve autonomy within the federation.

They said that the tussle between the federation and provinces was over the quantum of autonomy and the centre should empower the provinces to control their resources. The JWP leaders said that about 62,000 bogus votes had been registered in Dera Bugti and Sui.

They demanded that the government should revise the electoral lists.