News
Friday, February 24, 2012
Cases against Baloch leaders to be dropped* Interior minister says Baloch leaders should return to Pakistan to take part in political, development process
* Urges all Baloch, national leadership to attend APC
* Prime minister directs committee on Balochistan to propose practical steps
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Thursday announced withdrawal of cases against the Baloch leaders currently residing abroad.
“Following the government’s reconciliation policy, I announce that Baloch leaders, including Barahamdagh Bugti and Hyrbiyar Marri, return to Pakistan to take part in the political and development process and I would personally receive them,” he told reporters after chairing a high-level meeting held to review the implementation process of Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package. The meeting was also attended by Science and Technology Minister Changez Khan Jamali, Interior Secretary Sardar Muhammad Umar Gorgaij, the information and petroleum and natural resources secretaries, the Balochistan chief secretary and other senior officials.
The minister, while responding to a question, said he had withdrawn all but one cases against Hyrbiyar Marri.
He said Balochistan needed a political solution to its problems and the coalition government of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was determined to addressing the issue through political means. He dispelled the impression created by certain elements regarding the situation in the province, saying, “We want to bring development in order to ensure stability and prosperity.”
Malik also urged all Baloch and national leaders to participate in the All-Parties Conference being convened by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on the unrest in Balochistan.
He said now there were only 42 missing persons’ cases and the figure had been exaggerated in the past, adding that the authorities were trying to trace the 42 missing persons of the province. He said a task force had been constituted for registering the missing persons’ cases.
“I do not say the situation in the province is normal, but the way it has been propagated and portrayed is not right,” he said while responding to another question.
He told the reporters that another decision taken during the meeting was FC Balochistan would not move in any district of the province without permission of the deputy commissioner.
He further added that no FC checkpost would be established without permission of the Balochistan chief minister and that the FC and Coast Guards would exercise powers under the Customs Act, strictly in accordance with the law, and keep their deployment restricted to 10 kilometres of the international border.
Meanwhile, chairing a meeting at the PM’s House on the situation in Balochistan, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani directed members of the special committee on Balochistan, constituted by him to contact political leaders for holding an All-Parties Conference, to propose practical steps for solution of the province’s problems within a week, in consultation with all stakeholders.
The PM further directed that a detailed report with regards to the development work in Balochistan be presented in the next meeting after a week, so that its fast track implementation could be ensured. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk