LAHORE, Jan 29: The government claims that it has succeeded in ‘isolating’ the Baloch nationalists who were out to create problems and challenge the writ of the government on the pretext of provincial rights.

“Now the law and order situation in Balochistan will improve in the times ahead,” official sources said on Monday, adding that subversive activities had already been controlled to a great extent.

They said the writ of the government would be established at all costs and those violating the constitution would be dealt with an iron hand.

Simultaneously, the sources said, the government would take steps to enhance the quantum of provincial autonomy.

More than two dozen subjects of the Concurrent List would be transferred to the provinces during the current year as a result of which they would get much more powers than they already have.

The sources pointed out that some Baloch leaders had tried to instigate the people of Balochistan to rise against the government after the killing of JWP leader Akbar Bugti, but had failed in their designs.

National installations are no longer being targeted nor any other major subversive activity has been reported in the recent past, the sources said.

“The law-enforcement agencies are fully in control of the situation”.

The sources pointed out that a few Baloch legislators who had resigned their seats had also failed to persuade other lawmakers of the province to follow suit.

Contrarily, they said, some JWP legislators had joined the ruling PML, which clearly indicated that the nationalists were not being supported by other people.

It may be recalled that at a public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan shortly after the killing of Mr Bugti some Baloch and other leaders had urged all opposition parties to quit the assemblies. However, the call went unheeded and no opposition MP has quit as a mark of protest against that incident.

A federal minister said that steps taken by the government had changed the views of the ‘secessionists’ in Sindh and they now talked of the unity of the country.

He said the government was trying to bring the nationalists into mainstream politics, addressing their genuine demands.

“Anybody who follows the law will not be touched. But others who try to take the law into their own hands will not be spared”, official sources said, explaining the policy of the government.