President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday said the government stands for the rights of Balochistan and its people, and did not rule out possibility of foreign hand in creating law and order problems in certain areas of the province.
The government, he added, has taken numerous steps to ensure political representation of the Baloch at all tiers, ensure empowerment of the common man there, and bring backward areas of the province at par with the rest of the country.
He made these remarks in a meeting held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, which was attended by Governor Balochistan Owais Ghani, Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousaf, and senior political representatives of the province and coalition government.
After the meeting Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani along with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major-General Shaukat Sultan told the journalists that the President promised increase in gas royalty to Balochistan.
PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Region, Yar Muhammad Rind and Federal Minister for Social Welfare Zobaida Jalal also attended the meeting.
The President said representation of Baloch has been ensured in all the government departments including the country's armed forces.
He spoke at length on the situation in Balochistan and said the government during the last seven years took conscious decisions for the political and economic empowerment of Balochistan, which remained a victim of neglect in the past.
In this regard he referred to various mega projects including the Gwadar Deep Sea Port, Makran Coastal Highway, Mirani and Subakzai dams and various other development projects to directly benefit the people. However, the President regretted that certain elements did not want to see Balochistan progressing socioeconomically.
The President listed unabated rocket attacks, existence of farrari camps, blowing up of power installations and gas pipelines, killing of Chinese engineers and law-enforcement agency personnel, targeting of settlers and attacks in Sui as some of the activities that were aimed at disrupting development activities in the province. These terrorist activities were also taken to Karachi, Lahore and other parts of the country to create law and order problem, he added.
Musharraf, however, expressed firm resolve of the government to ensure writ of the government and stressed that it was very important to bring law and order under control for the safety of the people of the province.
The President also underlined the fact that the problem existed only in small pockets of the province as most parts of the province and their people remained peaceful.
Later, in an interactive discussion, the participants exchanged views on the situation in Balochistan and expressed their full support to the government policies for the socio-economic uplift of the province.
They lauded president Musharraf for undertaking development activities in Balochistan at an unprecedented scale that will usher in an era of prosperity there. Balochistan would soon begin to see fruits of mega projects reaching the people, they added.
Later, talking to reporters, Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Muhammad Yousaf said that necessary measures have been taken to ensure law and order and protect life and property of the people. He said that anyone who challenges the writ of the law would be dealt with sternly.
On the development in Balochistan, he said record allocations have been made during the last six years for the fast-pace development of the province and some mega projects were nearing completion and would contribute immensely to the socio-economic uplift of the people.
Later on, Information minister Muhammad Ali Durrani said parliamentarians and eminent Baloch politicians have assured President General Pervez Musharraf of their full support on Balochistan situation and expressed their determination to fight those elements who were trying to harm national interests.
The minister along with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director-general Major-General Shaukat Sultan was briefing journalists on a meeting held here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML) president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Balochistan governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, chief minister Jam Muhammad Yusuf, prominent politicians, parliamentarians and federal and provincial ministers from Balochistan fully backed the President's policies, Durrani said.
The minister said President Musharraf promised increase in gas royalty to Balochistan. He said the President also mentioned Baloch youth have been provided employment at Gwadar port while Balochistan's people would be given top priority for employment at the port.
He said President also directed relevant authorities to accommodate the Baloch youths in self-employment scheme and other relevant areas. The minister said, participants of the meeting agreed they would not compromise on security and national integrity of the country and would support development projects launched by the government within the province.
Senator Durrani said during the two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting President Musharraf briefed on the current Balochistan situation. He informed them about events that took place there in chronological orders.
Major General Shaukat Sultan said the President in his visit to Quetta had apologised on behalf of past regimes for ignoring the development of Balochistan. He expressed determination that the development of Balochistan would be given top priority in future and in this regard development projects amounting to Rs 135 billion had already been launched in the province.
Besides, he added, an unprecedented uplift project of Rs 2 billion was announced for Kohlu district while Rs 100 million had been announced for development projects for each district of the province.
Major General Shaukat Sultan said the President also mentioned around 15,000 Baloch youth had already been inducted into Pakistan army while parameters mandatory for induction into Pakistan army had also been lowered to ensure Baloch representation in the army.He said 7,000 Baloch youngsters had also been employed in the Frontier Corps while another 3000 would soon be inducted. Around 6000 Baloch have also been inducted in Balochistan Constabulary, he added.