PM to address Balochistan problems

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday gave a directive about initiating homework to draft a comprehensive constitutional package aimed at removing the sense of deprivation of Balochistan, financially as well as politically.

The prime minister gave this direction during a meeting with Acting Chairman Senate Jan Muhammad Jamali and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan at the Prime Minister House.

Later, the meeting was joined by Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khursheed Shah, Senator Raza Rabbani and Leader of the House in the Senate Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari. Sources said the prime minister tasked Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan to draft the comprehensive constitutional package for Balochistan on a fast-track basis by taking the political forces of Balochistan on board in this regard.

The sources said it was decided that the Balochistan Assembly would adopt a resolution seeking the constitutional amendments for removing the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan and empowering them financially and politically.

The sources said once the Balochistan Assembly adopted the resolution, the federal government would initiate the process of drafting the constitutional amendments for provincial autonomy, taking the political leadership of the province on board.

Meanwhile, during the meeting, political and security situation in the country also came under discussion with special focus on Balochistan. Modalities for speedy socio-economic development of Balochistan and bringing the province at par with other provinces were discussed at length and it was hoped that the new initiatives would greatly help in addressing the concerns of the people of Balochistan and removing the sense of deprivation.

The prime minister said a plan was under way for comprehensive financial restructuring of Balochistan and hoped that this would positively contribute towards social and economic uplift of the people of the province. The prime minister said the federal government would utilise all its resources to remove the backwardness of Balochistan and ensure job opportunities to the Baloch youth.

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