QUETTA, Dec 12: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf has called for immediate announcement of the new National Finance Commission award saying that this will help his government to solve financial problems of the province.

Talking to newsmen here on Monday, he said he hoped the new NFC award would meet the requirements of Balochistan. President Pervez Musharraf, he said, had the authority to take a decision about the award and because of his “sympathetic attitude towards our backward province, we are hopeful about it.

He said the government had launched a wide-ranging development programme to sustain the development process in Balochistan. But, he said, the shortfall in revenue receipts was adversely affecting various development projects. He said his government had briefed the centre’s finance mission headed by Minister of State Omar Ayub Khan on the financial difficulties of the province during his visit to Quetta last week.

Islamabad should continue to provide financial help to Balochistan till the new NFC award was announced, Mr Yousuf said, adding that the grant of Rs2.5 billion recently announced by the prime minister was a big help for the province.

Responding to a question, he denied that any military operation had been launched in any area of Balochistan and said that actions taken against anti-social elements should not be termed military operation. He said: “We will not leave people at the mercy of anti-social elements.”

He said the government would fulfil its constitutional obligation of protecting the life, honour and property of the people.

The process of economic development would continue and “I will not tolerate any hurdle.” He also expressed the hope that the government would soon implement recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan.

He said the sub-committee headed by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed had already submitted its report to the government.

He disclosed that the government had approved formula proposed by Senator Dilawar Abbas to increase Balochistan’s gas revenue.

He said the government believed in solving problems through negotiations and mutual understanding and it had not closed doors of contacts and negotiations. “All channels are wide open for all concerned to resolve issues through talks,” he said.

The chief minister criticized the role of opposition and said that his government had invited members of the opposition several times to work in Cooperation for solving financial difficulties but it never came with a positive response.

“The opposition is interested only in slogan mongering and street agitation,” Jam Yousuf said and accused it of having failed to fulfil its constitutional obligations. He said that despite the negative attitude of the opposition he would welcome positive criticism from them for improvement in the performance of the government.