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Sunday, May 09, 2010
Gilani says he is ready to meet all Baloch leaders* PM meets former Balochistan chief minister Attaullah Mengal, discusses problems facing the province
KARACHI: Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that he is ready to meet all the political leaders of Balochistan whether in exile or when they return home.
The prime minister made these remarks while talking to the media after meeting Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Attaullah Mengal at his residence in Karachi. Gilani said the government would try its level best to address the grievances of the people of Balochistan. The prime minister said his meeting with Mengal had been overdue and today he had finally managed to meet him in Karachi. He told the media that the former Balochistan chief minister apprised him of the problems facing Balochistan, which included the issue of missing persons and the under development of many areas of the province.
Gilani said that he had assured Mengal that the federal and provincial governments would make joint efforts for the development and prosperity of Balochistan. He told the media that he would direct Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR) Chairman Senator Mian Raza Rabbani to meet Baloch leaders and apprise them of the benefits of provincial autonomy, which were extended through the passage of the 18th Amendment. The prime minister said that during his tenure as the chief executive, not a single political leader or worker was sent to jail, which proved that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) did not believe in political victimisation. Gilani said that he had directed the Ministry of Interior to provide foolproof security to citizens.
Sardar Attaullah Mengal, talking to the media, thanked the prime minister for taking out time from his very busy schedule for the meeting. The former Balochistan chief minister said that he had conveyed his grievances to the prime minister and hoped that they would be addressed soon. The BNP-M chief said the Baloch were as loyal to Pakistan as the people of other provinces. Regarding the problems facing Balochistan, Mengal said that the issue of missing persons and the atrocities being committed on the Baloch people were the main problems facing the province. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk