QUETTA, Feb 27: Chief Minister Jam Yousuf has supported President Gen Pervez Musharraf's suggestion that a formula for distributing the national revenue between the centre and federating units on fifty-fifty basis , said that the next National Finance Commission (NFC) award will be settled soon.

Speaking to newsmen at the airport before leaving for Lahore here on Saturday, he said that from the very beginning Balochistan was demanding 50 per cent share for provinces in the NFC award. He hoped that the next NFC award would be announced soon. "Distribution of resources on the basis of 50 per cent would benefit all the provinces," he remarked.

The chief minister thanked Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for approving over Rs33 billion development projects for Balochistan by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) and said that it would help bring a revolutionary change in the province.

He said that with establishing Balochistan Constabulary in the province a large number of youths would get jobs. He said that in the past Balochistan was ignored, but the present government wanted to remove the sense of deprivation by giving top priority to the province.

Mr Yousuf said that there was no doubt about the sincerity and patriotism of Sardars and Nawabs of Balochistan but they should also come forward and play a positive role in launching development schemes for the benefit and welfare of their own people.

GUNRUNNER ARRESTED: Police have recovered a huge quantity of illegal arms and ammunition and arrested a gunrunner from the Loralai area of Balochistan. "The man was supplying arms and ammunition to the gang involved in terrorist and subversive activities in the province," Capital City Police Officer Rafi Pervez Bhatti told Dawn.