QUETTA: The Balochistan government will convene an all-party conference this month to debate proposals for holding talks with militants and extremists, the chief minister said on Friday.

“All political parties of Balochistan believe in democracy and want peace in the province. The provincial government and all leaders are serious in initiating peace negotiations with militants and extremists,” Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said during a conversation with a committee of political parties on introducing reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

He said his government and the National Party wanted democracy to flourish in Fata. “People of Fata are entitled to enjoy democracy and democratic rights like the people of other parts of the country.”

Dr Malik said since the law and order situation in the province had improved, the Frontier Corps had reduced the number of its checkpoints almost by half.

“The provincial government is making continuous efforts to trace and recover Arbab Abdul Zahir Kasi, a political leader abducted a few months ago,” the chief minister said.

He said his government had finally convinced the centre of the need for working together to tackle challenges faced by Balochistan.

There was no peace in Balochistan when his government took over, Dr Malik Baloch said. “We encountered terrorism, extremism and militancy when we came to power. However, we accepted all these challenges and launched efforts to resolve them in collaboration with the federal government.”

He endorsed the demands of the Fata committee and said the Balochistan government would support any proposal for carrying out reforms in the region.

Spesking at a press conference along with the chief minister, the visiting delegation’s leader Ajmal Wazir said the 10-party committee constituted in 2010 had prepared 11 proposals for reforms in Fata.

The recommendations agreed to by all the parties, including the PML-N, include restoration of peace and holding of local bodies elections and grant of constitutional rights to the people of tribal areas.

The recommendations propose an amendment to Article 274 of the constitution to enable preparation of a development package that gives priority to health, education and jobs.

The committee also suggested steps for development of the infrastructure in Fata and to give the people a right to determine their future.

Mr Wazir said the jirga system should be made independent, democratic and free from the influence of political agents.

“The law for action in aid of civil regulation should be cancelled and the powers of administration and judiciary should be separated,” he said.

A citizen of Fata should not be deprived of the right to own property and the ambit of the inheritance law be expanded to include the region, Ajmal Wazir added.

The committee also called for taking steps to strengthen the Levies and Khasadar force.

Mr Wazir said the Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Abdul Qadir Baloch, had indicated that he planned to meet the prime minister and Fata senators and MNAs to give a final shape to the recommendations.