QUETTA: The Speaker of Balochistan Assembly, Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, has said the army has a role in matters concerning the province and, therefore, it should be included in negotiations with estranged Baloch nationalist leaders.

Talking to newsmen here on Monday, he said negotiations with the nationalist leaders would not be fruitful unless all stakeholders, including the army, were included in the process.

“Army’s role in Balochistan is a reality and, therefore, it should be included in the dialogue,” he said.

Mr Bhootani said the army had its own opinion on security issues in the province and political leaders and parties had their ownstance.

He said it was not yet clear who had been fully empowered to initiate contacts and hold dialogue for resolving the Balochistan issue.

“There is ambiguity about the authority for initiating the dialogue with the angry Baloch leadership,” he said, adding that it wasnot known whether Governor Nawab Magsi, Chief Minister Nawab Raisani or a committee had been authorised for the purpose.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief Minister Raisani had made sincere efforts to resolve thelongstanding issues, but people were not properly informed about the progress made in Balochistan, he said.

The speaker said consensus on the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award was a great achievement of the government and it had been successfully implemented. Balochistan’s share has been fully protected in the award and demands of the provincial government have been accepted.

As a result of the implementation of the NFC award, the Balochistan government was able to present an annual budget of Rs172 billion, whereas the pervious budget was of Rs73 billion.

Mr Bhootani said the province had been given Rs120 billion gas development surcharge after 62 years.

As a result of the chief minister’s efforts, he said, the federal government had taken the responsibility of repaying to the State Bank Balochistan’s outstanding loan of Rs17.5 billion.

He said the government had completed the first phase of a project to build 200 small dams in the province and work was under way on the second phase.

He said the federal government’s plan to set up 12 cadet colleges in Balochistan had been executed.