QUETTA, Jan 27: Sardar Yar Mohammed Rind, chief of Rind Tribes and former MNA, has called upon the president to grant complete autonomy to the provinces.

Talking to newsmen at his hometown here on Sunday, he said only autonomy can help the provinces solve their problems. “Undoubtedly, the 1973 Constitution was unanimous and agreed, but, even at the time, it was not according to the needs of the provinces.

“Since the constitution had been mutilated by successive government Balochistan and other provinces would not accept it,” Sardar Rind told a questioner.

“President General Pervez Musharraf had promised complete autonomy to provinces when he took over,” Sardar Yar Mohammed Rind recalled.

He said at the present level of representation in parliament and distribution of resources, Balochistan would need centuries to reach the level of development in Punjab and Sindh.

He said Balochistan is getting only five per cent representation, and that is insufficient. He said that allocation of seats and resources should be based on 50 per cent on area and 50 per cent on population.

“There should be a natural balance in providing just representation to all,” Sardar Rind said who remained MNA from Kacchhi District of Balochistan on several occasions.

The former MNA and senator said that at present, when there is no debate, no parliament, and being the sole representative of the 130 million Pakistanis, he could grant autonomy to the provinces, he said.

President Yahya Khan also dismembered One Unit and revived the old and historic provinces and everyone welcomed it later on.

When asked about the condition of graduation for members of parliament, he said: “It is not possible in a country like Pakistan where the literacy rate is very low. In Balochistan, where literacy rate is merely six per cent, where do you find graduates from,” Rind quipped.