QUETTA, Feb 27: The federal government has appointed former chief minister Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi as the new governor of Balochistan.

Caretaker Chief Minister Sardar Mohammad Saleh Bhootani made the official announcement at a reception he hosted here on Wednesday for the elected members of the provincial assembly.

Sources said that Nawab Magsi would take the oath on Thursday at a ceremony in the Governor House.

Nawab Masgi was appointed governor after a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday night. He was elected MPA from his home constituency in the February 18 polls and was a strong candidate for the post of the chief minister.

Talking to newsmen, Nawab Masgi said he was ready to initiate dialogue with all political and tribal personalities for bringing to an end the unrest in Balochistan.

“I am a political person and will not take any confrontational action with the governments in Islamabad and the province.”

About the provincial government, he said it would be formed soon and the assembly session could be held by mid-March.

“I will try to work for every Baloch person and I will seriously look into the matter of missing political workers,” he said.

Nawab Magsi also said he had “nothing to do with the Pakistan Muslim League-Q” and he had contested the election as an independent candidate.

“I worked as chief minister of Balochistan twice because of my good relations with the political and tribal personalities in the province,” he said.

The Press Information department released a handout here on Wednesday which said: “The President has been pleased to appoint Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi as the Governor of Balochistan province”.