May 29, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

ISLAMABAD, May 28: Balochistan National Party (Mengal) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has said he is willing to negotiate with the government for peace in Balochistan.

The former chief minister told a TV channel that the government should take certain steps before starting formal talks to instil confidence in the Baloch people.

He said confidence-building measures, like ending the military operation in the province, rehabilitating the displaced people and tracing about 1,100 missing people were vital for creating a conducive atmosphere for talks.

Expressing the hope for peace in the province, he said the Pakistan People’s Party was behaving in a much better way with the Baloch than did the previous governments, adding that the confidence-building measures would help the BNM to enter into talks with the government.

“PPP appears to be serious in its efforts to address the problems of the Baloch people. It wants to bring them into mainstream.”

He welcomed the government’s decision to change the name of the NWFP.

About his party’s strategy, he said the BNM’s central executive committee would chalk it out at a meeting in Quetta next month. —APP