 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
|
 |
| More missing Baloch may be freed: Rabbani |
|
|
|
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
By our correspondent
Karachi
Some missing Baloch activists have been released under the ‘Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e- Balochistan’ (Balochistan package) and more activists are likely be released under the process, said Senator Raza Rabbani.
Rabbani, who is instrumental behind the Balochistan package, claimed that the package has dealt with the issue of missing persons owing to which five people were released immediately.
He was speaking at an Eid Milan party organized on Monday by the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Karachi Division in connection with the party’s 43rd foundation day at People’s Secretariat. Rabbani, who is the Central Deputy Secretary General of PPP, admitted that a trust deficit existed between the Centre and the Balochs.
“The people of Balochistan think that such promises were also made in the past but the same were not fulfilled. They wonder as to whether this package would be implemented. The federal government, prime minister and president have given assurances to the Balochs that the package would be implemented,” he said.
He said that those who created hurdles in its implementation would be sidelined, adding, “This is a serious issue and if the package is not implemented, there would be serious dangers for the federation.” He also warned that the PPP would put up stiff resistance if the democratic process was derailed.
Talking about the salient features of the Balochistan package, Rabbani said that it was aimed at ending the sense of deprivation and giving the Balochs their due rights. He said that the package entails the ownership of Balochs over their natural resources, adding, that the federal government would immediately relinquish its 20 per cent share in Saindak Project and the remaining 10 per cent share would be handed over to Balochistan next year when the project would be completed.
He said that the federal government has also promised to pay Rs 120 billion to Balochistan as Gas Development Surcharge (GDS) in next 12 years, adding that the GDS was an old issue which has been resolved now.
He said that another old demand of the Balochs pertained to giving them ownership in oil and gas companies and that has also been addressed in the package under which they could purchase 20pc share in these companies from open market.
The setting up of a judicial commission to probe the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti and three prominent Baloch activists has also been promised while Balochistan’s concerns regarding Gwadar Port would also be addressed, he added.
Raza Rabbani, who is also the head of the Constitutional Reforms Committee, said that the PPP has once again proved that it was a truly federal party by presenting the Balochistan package.
PPP General Secretary (Sindh) Taj Haider hoped that the constitutional committee would introduce amendments to bring the 1973 Constitution to its original spirit and hoped that it would also look into “new realities and needs.”
He said that there was also the need to address the grievances of Sindh, particularly water issue. Referring to recent visit of Senate’s standing committee on water and power, Taj Haider said that sea intrusion has destroyed 2.2 million acres land in Badin and Thatta districts.
He said that the present government was giving hydel profit dues to NWFP, which were denied to them during the last 10 years by the former regime.
In-charge PPP’s Study Circle N.D. Khan said that today’s PPP was the same party of 1960s. He alleged that the same forces were involved in destabilizing the present government which had destabilized the governments of Z.A. Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.
Chief Minister’s Advisor Rashid Rabbani, President PPP Karachi Division Syed Najmi Alam and PPP General Secretary, Karachi Saeed Ghani also spoke on the occasion. They said that the party’s perceived historic rally in the city on November 25 has had a deep impact on the country’s politics and President Asif Zardari’s address opened new avenues. —IA
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
