ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday he wanted early implementation of the proposals of a special parliamentary committee on Balochistan.

Talking to journalists, the prime minister said Balochistan had been suffering injustices for 62 years and his government had decided to address them and resolve the issue.

He said it was yet to be decided whether to convene a traditional jirga or an all-party conference to discuss the proposals with the Baloch people and create national consensus.

He said the committee had clubbed together all proposals and suggestions on the issue. The committee headed by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani submitted its 14-point recommendation to the prime minister on Monday. The committee had studied and discussed several reports on Balochistan prepared in the past.

Replying to a question, Mr Gilani said consultations on dissolving the local bodies and making suitable amendments to the local government law had been completed with the stakeholders.

He said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was fully on board.

The prime minister said the government wanted to overcome the power crisis. He said new power plants would be inaugurated every month.

He said the decision to go for rental power plants had been taken by the cabinet and its committee and the government was ready to discuss it in parliament if there were reservations about their cost.

He said increasing power generation was his government’s top priority and development funds had been diverted for the purpose.

The prime minister said he would soon convene a meeting of the chief ministers of the provinces to discuss austerity measures and other issues because shortage of electricity was a matter of serious concern for the industry and the people.

He said most of the circular debt had been cleared and the remaining would be retired by cutting development funds.

He said measures to save electricity were being strictly followed in the PM’s House. ‘We use pedestal fans even if the army chief or US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson come to me during the time when air-conditioners are kept off.’

Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated a joint venture of Ferozsons Laboratories and Bago Group of Argentina to produce medicines for hepatitis and cancer. He said the government was striving to achieve the vision of the late Benazir Bhutto on healthcare by providing access to medical facilities to all citizens.