QUETTA, Nov 13: Members of the senate's standing committee on housing and works have said that both treasury and opposition benches in the senate have always raised their voice for the rights of Balochistan and called for peacefully resolving political issues.

They expressed the views during their visit to the Balochistan Assembly secretariat on Monday.

The visiting team comprised Mohammad Ali Brohi (chairman), Farooq Naik, Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Saleh Muhammad Shah, Muhammad Hussain and Shujaul Mulk.

Mr Brohi and Mr Pirzada said the senate had discussed the Balochistan issue several times and there was a consensus among the members that the issue was of urgent nature and that it should be resolved through talks.

They said senators supported maximum autonomy for the federating units, which was necessary to strengthen the federation and promote harmony between the federation and the provinces.

They said the grant of political and economic rights to Balochistan would create a healthy atmosphere for developmental activities. They said the government should take steps to remove the sense of deprivation among the people of the province.

PA Speaker Jamal Shah said peace in the province was must for the development process. He said that due to lack of funds, the people of Balochistan were deprived of basic facilities.

He said the senate members could play an important role in resolving political issues of the province and assured the visiting senate team that the Baloch people would cooperate with the government if it was sincere in addressing grievances of the people.

Deputy Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani said provision of funds to Balochistan was must for bringing the province at par with developed areas of the country.

He said paying interest on loans borrowed for the Social Action Programme in 1980s was a burden on the province, saying the finance minister had informed the recent provincial assembly session that so far the government had paid Rs45 billion interest on Rs19 billion loan and Rs27 billion was yet to be paid.

He urged the senators to play their role to waive interest on loans obtained by the provincial government from the federal government and other financial institutions.