QUETTA, March 26: President Asif Ali Zardari moved on Thursday to grapple with a violent nationalist movement in the province, wooing angry Baloch groups to enter into talks with the government to remove their grievances.

Demonstrating his will to achieve the objective without delay, Mr Zardari directed the provincial government to set up a parliamentary committee of its coalition partners to start talks with disgruntled elements to bring them into the mainstream.

Addressing a meeting of Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani’s cabinet, the president said the process of reconciliation would be expanded and all-out efforts would be made to resolve issues being faced by the province.

He asked the ruling coalition partners to prepare a resolution on the issues being faced by Balochistan, bring it before the provincial assembly and then send it to the federal government. He said his government would even make constitutional amendments to solve problems of the province.

Chief Minister Raisani, Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, provincial ministers, chief secretary and other officials attended the meeting.

President Zardari asked the provincial government to chalk out plans for rehabilitation of the people displaced by the military operation.The president assured cabinet members that their recommendations on improving law and order, accelerating the pace of development and resolving other issues of the province would be implemented.

He said the federal government would provide funds for building eight dams in Balochistan. The dams are expected to irrigate additional 500,000 acres of land.

Mr Zardari said the province’s job quota would be strictly implemented.

He said the government was accelerating the pace of oil and gas exploration in the province and providing security to exploration companies.

Members of the cabinet briefed the president about the province’s grievances and said the federal government should provide funds to complete under-construction roads and highways.

President Zardari later spoke to PPP leaders and workers at the Chief Minister’s House. He said the government would take ‘sincere steps’ to give the Baloch their rights and urged them not to resort to violence.

He said the government had succeeded in solving problems of Balochistan to a great extent and would solve the remaining soon.

“No one knows better than the PPP about Balochistan’s misery and we have solved problems to a great extent.”

The president said the PPP had assumed power in challenging times and he knew that expectations were high. “We have rendered many sacrifices and are serving the people in all parts of the country.”

Mr Zardari claimed that policies of the PPP-led government kept the country immune from the financial meltdown buffeting the world.
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