QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani has accused some elements in policy-making machinery in Islamabad of indirectly helping the elements trying to break up Pakistan by not implementing announcements and promises made by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
According to official sources, Mr Raisani made the remarks during a meeting with Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafiz Sheikh and said these elements were destabilising the federation and fuelling hatred between federating units and the centre.
He said that if Balochistan seceded from Pakistan it would not be because of a handful of extremists challenging the state. He said he would blame the attitude of policy-makers and bureaucrats in Islamabad for paving the way for the success of extremists.
The chief minister said the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan package was not being implemented in letter and spirit.
Mr Raisani, who has been criticising the federal government for the past few days, accused the policy-makers of deliberately ignoring important projects in Balochistan and delaying release of funds.
“The president inaugurated the Winder Dam, but funds for its construction are yet to be released. Similarly, Gwadar was declared a ‘duty-free zone’ but its notification has not been issued so far,” he told Dr Sheikh.
“I belong to the PPP, but I am a Baloch first and I have to face my people if announcements and promises are not fulfilled. How shall we go to people and ask them to vote for the PPP in the next general election if pressing issues are ignored,” Mr Raisani said.
He said the federal government was not paying adequate attention to problems of the province. He urged the president and the prime minister to find out why their announcements/ orders were not being implemented.
The sources said that at the meeting Federal Minister for Communications Arbab Alamgir admitted that the federal government had not released funds for construction of highways in Balochistan.
Dr Hafiz Sheikh assured Mr Raisani that the federal government would make ensure release of maximum funds for Balochistan. “The government will release funds for construction of highways by June.”
The sources said that the meeting decided to give priority to some important national highway projects in Balochistan. A committee comprising the chief secretary, finance secretary and the NHA chairman was constituted to monitor the projects.
The chief minister said that only 5,000 people had been recruited under the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan package and the provincial government was asked to regularise their appointment and pay their salary from its own resources.
When the package was announced, the federal government had promised to bear all expenses, including the salary of the employees.