QUETTA, March 25 With the judicial crisis behind him, President Asif Zardari will on Thursday get down to exploring ways and means for redressing Balochistan`s grievances, according to Nabil Gabol, the minister of state for ports and shipping.

Mr Gabol, talking to reporters after meeting JWP president Talal Bugti here on Wednesday, said the president had formed a committee for the resolution of pressing problems relating to the province. The minister is a member of the body.

The Balochistan issue had become important after the restoration of the judiciary. “Balochistan is Pakistan`s heart.”

Mr Gabol said Balochistan and Pakistan “cannot prosper without each other”.

The minister accused former president Pervez Musharraf of “murdering Nawab Bugti, Balaach Marri and other Baloch nationalist leaders”, and called for his trial.

Highlighting Gwadar`s strategic importance, Mr Gabol said that Karachi was vulnerable to “enemy attacks, while Gwadar is far away”.

He said he had asked the president to transfer Gwadar port`s operations to Balochistan because it was its rightful owner.

Referring to the judiciary crisis, he said the decision to reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other judges had been taken 15 days ago and the perception that the judiciary had been restored as a result of protests was incorrect, adding that Nawaz Sharif had known about this all along. Nabeel Gabol alleged Mr Sharif had been goaded by “someone” into defying house arrest orders.

He said the PPP had made “some mistakes” and “some decisions” had been delayed. “Political rivals took advantage of it, but now these things are part of the past.”—PPI