Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Friday offered an olive branch to the disgruntled Baloch leaders by inviting them to hold dialogue with the government for an amicable solution of the Balochistan issue.
Addressing the provincial cabinet meeting here at the Chief Minister Secretariat, the PM said the use of force was not the right way to handle any problem. “Only dialogue and constructive talks can steer the province out of prevailing crisis,” he added.
However, he categorically rejected to hold dialogue with those who talk against the country’s sovereignty. “We have to identify forces who are supporting the handful elements to create lawlessness in Balochistan,” he observed. The PM said that there were some external and internal forces involved in creating unrest in the province and they could only be defeated with combined efforts and political wisdom. He said the government was giving utmost priority to Balochistan’s uplift and assured early completion of development projects in the province.
He said early completion of the development projects was top priority of his government. The members of the provincial Cabinet members congratulated the Prime Minister on assuming his office and extended full support for democracy and improving the law and order. He also directed to make arrangements to supply water from Mirani Dam to Gwadar besides increasing capacity of Ankra Dam Gwadar. He said that the prevailing law and order situation was the result of unwise and anti-Baloch policies of dictators, bringing the province on the verge of destruction. “Balochistan is on the priority list of the government,” he said while reiterating the government’s pledge to remove the decades-long grievances of the people of the largest province of the country. He directed that capable senior officials of law enforcement agencies having good reputation should be posted in Balochistan so that law and order situation could be improved. The provincial ministers pointed out that the projects of Reko Diq, Kacchi Canal, Gwadar-Rato Dero road and Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan transmission line needed to be completed on priority. The PM assured early completion of the development projects.
He said Balochistan was enriched with natural resources and it was now constitutionally empowered to get benefit from its mines and minerals. “The local people should be the beneficiary of the Reko Diq, copper and other mineral projects launched in Balochistan,” he added.