HYDERABAD, Feb 18: Balochistan Minister for Local Bodies and Information Technology Hafiz Hussain Ahmad Sherodi has alleged that ever since the inception of Pakistan, excesses have been committed against the people of Balochistan.

He was talking to journalists at the press club here on Friday evening. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam leaders Maulana Taj Mohammad Nahyoon, Qadri Kamran Ahmad and Azam Jehangiri were also present.

He said the Balochistan government had not been taken into confidence before launching the operation in the province.

However, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leader said bomb blasts and attacks on buses, trains, gas pipelines and electricity poles could not help resolve problems of Balochistan and such acts were not in the interest of the province and the country.

He said the province was rich in mineral resources but it was not being given adequate royalty for its gas.

Mr Sherodi alleged that a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was being smuggled into the province in connivance with those who were supposed to guard the frontiers.

He said that in the larger interest of the country, the MMA was prepared to act as an arbitrator provided it was requested by the federal government and nationalist leaders.

The minister observed that Pakistan was faced with innumerable problems because politics of the country was based on materialism. He maintained that unless politics was tampered with spiritualism and based on Quranic injunctions and Sunnah, the country could not progress.

Mr Sherodi said the new local government system was facing problems but hoped that it would improve with the passage of time.

He said the US was trying to disintegrate the country.

The Balochistan minister conceded that many development works had been carried out in the province during the present federal government. But, he said, development was meaningless unless its fruits were passed on to the common man.

Answering a question about the Kalabagh dam, he said everyone had contributed in opposing the project but Sindh had played a major role in this regard.

On the issue of provincial autonomy, he said it was included in the JUI manifesto that the provinces should be given full provincial autonomy.

SSC: The Sindh Seed Corporation (SSC) has fixed seed procurement targets for cotton, paddy and wheat for the year 2006.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Abdul Jabbar Pathan, the chairman of the SSC board.

The meeting was also attended by provincial agriculture secretary Nazar Hussain Mahar.

According to the decision, 20,000 maunds of wheat seed, 5,000 maunds of cotton seed and 3,000 maunds of paddy seed would be procured.

It was decided that two ginning units of the SSC at Sakrand and Tandojam would be leased.

The meeting proposed measures to ensure availability of quality seeds to growers.