ISLAMABAD, March 20: President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and chairman of the parliamentary committee on Balochistan Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain will soon visit Dera Bugti for a meeting with Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, it was learnt here on Sunday. Chaudhry Shujaat contacted Nawab Bugti on satellite telephone and sought a meeting with him to discuss the Dera Bugti situation and all issues concerning Balochistan and received a positive response to his request.
Also on Sunday, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, accompanied by Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, met Mehmud Khan Achakzai, president of the Pakhtoonkhwah Milli Awami Party (PMAP), and Abdur Rauf Mengal of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) in his efforts to defuse the situation.
Mr Mengal is reported to have said that there was no point in held up such talks because in his opinion Chaudhry Shujaat did not have the authority to take any positive action while the army was not serious about reaching a settlement.
The PML chief, the sources said, assured the Baloch leaders that he had the authority to provide guarantees.
He requested the Baloch nationalist leaders to end their boycott of the parliamentary committee and to attend its meetings. He told them that the committee would continuously meet from Monday till the finalisation of its report.
The Baloch leaders, however, expressed their inability to return to the committee unconditionally and said that detained workers of their parties would have to be released and troops deployed in Balochistan withdrawn before the government could expect them to take part in talks.
The meeting which was held in the parliament lodges suite of Mr Mengal discussed in detail the development in the province.
Chaudhry Shujaat stressed the need for all members of the parliamentary committee to attend parliamentary committy’s meetings in order to work out a consensus package for submission to the government.
The Baloch leaders, however, insisted that the military operation in Balochistan must be ended first.
Talking to newsmen later, Chaudhry Shujaat said that Interior Minister Sherpao had been in continuous contact with Baloch leaders.
He claimed to have received a positive response from the Baloch leaders and said that Mr Rauf Mengal had promised to contact his party leadership for instructions.
He said that in his contact with Nawab Bugti he had requested him to cooperate in finding a political solution to the problem and he hoped to meet Akbar Bugti with members of the parliamentary committee.
Mr Mengal said he and Mr Achakzai had clearly stated their reservations and the standoff would not end till their demands were met.