July 15, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 11, 1429

QUETTA, July 14: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has proposed formation of a chief ministers’ coordination committee to discuss and resolve issues confronting the provinces.

Addressing a press conference at the end of a visit to Quetta on Monday, he said that the four chief ministers should meet every three months to discuss inter-provincial issues and take up these with the centre. Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, PML-N chief organiser Raja Zafarul Haq, Ahsan Iqbal, PML-N Punjab president Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, Balochistan president Sardar Yaqoob Nasar, Abdul

Khaliq Achakzai and former NWFP chief minister Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi were present.

Mr Sharif condemned the killing of veteran politician Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and use of force against Baloch and Pashtun people. He said that rights of every province should be respected.

He said the judiciary had been handcuffed on Nov 3 in the presence of what he called a rubber-stamp parliament. He said the survival of Pakistan depended on independent judiciary.

Asked whether his party would quit the coalition government if the deposed judges were not reinstated, he said: “Why should we leave the field open for dictators and their cronies. We will remain in the assemblies to serve the people and raise voice for rights of the provinces. We have taken the oath to get the judges reinstated. Reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry does not mean reinstatement of an individual, but of an institution.”

The Punjab CM said that martial laws had repeatedly been imposed and dictators inflicted huge damage.

He said that dictators had not learnt any lesson from the past and continued to conspire to derail the democratic system. “They speak of use of force for resolving all issues.”

Mr Sharif said: “It is our responsibility to strengthen the Constitution which guarantees development and prosperity of the provinces. Punjab is your real brother rather than elder brother because we share each other’s sorrow and happiness,” he said.

He supported Balochistan’s demand for distribution of resources on the basis of area, backwardness and population. He said his party believed in provincial autonomy and rights of all federating units.

He said that the water accord had been signed by the four provinces in 1990 when Nawaz Sharif was prime minister. He claimed that the issue of royalty on natural resources had been settled during the PML-N government.

Mr Sharif announced an increase in the quota for Balochistan’s students in Punjab’s medical colleges, health institutions and agriculture universities from 90 to 225 and assured financial support for deserving and needy students from Balochistan.

He also announced doubling of the wheat quota for Balochistan to 100,000 tons till December. He said the Punjab government would set up a cardiology institution in Quetta.

He said Punjab would also extend technical support for promotion of agriculture and construction of small dams in Balochistan.