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Zardari asks PM to ensure implementation of package

* President says announcement ‘a giant leap’ towards addressing issues of Baloch people

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday advised the government to put in place an effective mechanism to ensure the implementation of the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package.

After announcing the package on Tuesday, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called on President Zardari at the Presidency and outlined the mechanics for the implementation of the Balochistan package.

The president congratulated the prime minister on the announcement of the package, which encompasses political, constitutional, financial and administrative reforms and said it would be instrumental in winning the hearts and minds of the people of the province.

The package would go a long way in redressing the grievances of the people of the Balochistan, Zardari said.

Meanwhile, the president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Zardari felicitated the government, political parties and the people on the announcement of the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package.

He quoted the president as saying that the announcement of the package was “a giant leap” towards addressing the issues of the people of the province and empowering them in accordance with their aspirations.

Recalling former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s promise to the people of Balochistan before her assassination in December 2007 that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would address their grievances, Zardari said, “The PPP, even before coming into power, had publicly and formally apologised to the people of Balochistan for the injustice done to them by successive governments in the past,” he said.

Zardari said following the promise, the PPP had set up Benazir Bhutto Committee on Balochistan to formulate proposals after consulting all stakeholders and had finally a parliamentary committee was set up which drew up the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package.

The president said the provision of release of all political workers, return of exiles, initiation of political dialogue across the political spectrum in the province and setting up of a commission with regards to the missing persons issue were significant measures that would have a salutary impact on the people of Balochistan.

He said the decision to pay the arrears of gas development surcharge worth Rs 120 billion from 1954 to 1991 to the province in 12 years would address the province’s long-standing economic demand.

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