GWADAR The federal cabinet at a meeting held here on Wednesday approved the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) bill and discussed issues concerning Balochistan, particularly the implementation of the Aghaz-i-Huqooq-i-Balochistan package.

According to the GPA bill, the authority's board will comprise 15 members, including seven from Balochistan, with chief minister of the province as its chairman.

The special cabinet meeting held on board a Pakistan Navy ship anchored at the Gwadar port was attended by federal ministers and the four chief ministers. It was presided over by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The prime minister said the democratic government had come up with the Aghaz-i-Huqooq Balochistan package to end Baloch people's sense of deprivation.

He said the meeting's agenda and venue had been decided with the objective of highlighting and addressing the issues of Balochistan.

He thanked Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani and Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghori for making elaborate arrangements for the meeting.

The prime minister said that development of Balochistan was a priority of the government which was committed to addressing the demands of the Baloch people.

Talking to a number of delegations, the prime minister said the government was seriously working to alleviate the suffering of the people of the province who had been neglected in the past.