QUETTA, Jan 16: Chief Minister Jam Yousuf has said that the government will take all measures to curb the smuggling of livestock and other commodities to Afghanistan and Iran.

Talking to newsmen here on Friday after the assembly session, the chief minister said that he had taken up the issue with the federal government and informed the authorities concerned that due to the smuggling of the livestock and other items to Iran and Afghanistan their prices have increased in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.

He said that the commerce and agriculture ministry were issuing permits for livestock, wheat, flour and fertiliser export to Afghanistan and Iran, creating a storage in the province.

"Prices of meat, flour and other commodities are increasing in the province due to the smuggling and export of these goods," Mr Yousuf said and alleged: "In some areas Nazims and DCOs were also involved in the business."

He said that the provincial government would take steps to stop the smuggling and issuing of such permits. "Soon section I44 would be imposed in the border towns to stop movement of these items," he added.

Replying to a question about the shortage of wheat and flour in Quetta and other areas of the province, the chief minister said that a cabinet committee was formed to resolve the issue.

About the bomb blasts and rocket attacks in Balochistan the chief minister said that he had asked the agencies concerned to submit their report in this regard. He said that government was taking all possible measures to arrest those involved in the terrorist activities.

FUND: Federal Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has said that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has approved one billion rupees for the Balochistan province to improve law and order situation and to combat terrorist activities.

"The Prime Minister has approved a security package of one billion rupees for Balochistan," Mr Faisal said, adding that these funds would soon be provided to the provincial government to improve law and order situation in the province.

He said the federal government had launched a plan under which the maximum areas of the province would be brought under the control of the police, and the provincial government was actively pursuing this plan.

He said with the presence of more policemen the law and order situation would improve in the province. Talking to newsmen after a drug burning ceremony in Ghazabad on Thursday, he said that operation against terrorists would continue in Wana as it was a continuous process.

"The Wana operation is part of the government policy to root out terrorists and more such operations will be conducted in areas from where information is received about presence of terrorists."

In reply to a question, he confirmed some arrests in Wana but said he could not disclose the names and the number of those arrested during the operation.

"Identity and country of the suspects cannot be disclosed until complete interrogation is carried out," Mr Faisal said and added that most of the suspects did not tell their actual name and the country at the time of interrogation.

About progress in the case of suicide attack on President Pervez Musharraf, he said some religious extremists were involved in it. "The attack on President Musharraf was an act carried out by religious terrorists," the interior minister said.