ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 An offer of dialogue with “estranged brothers”, promises of probes into political murders, army pullout from a key area, halt to new cantonments and more local control on resources marked a conciliation package for Balochistan that the government unveiled in parliament on Tuesday.

In a special joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, the PPP-led coalition also committed itself to more autonomy for the largest but least populated province, though the issue must wait for constitutional amendments being considered by a special parliamentary committee that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said was expected to present its report “very soon”.

The prime minister made ISLAMABAD Senator Raza Rabbani outlines details of the Balochistan package as Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani looks on.—PPI

the offer of dialogue as part of his government's aim to “heal the broken hearts” in a brief Urdu speech while an English-language draft of the package called “Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan” (beginning of the rights of Balochistan) was read out later by PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, who headed a parliamentary committee that finalised the document, which also envisages release of detained political workers, return of dissidents living in exile and identification of missing persons.

The murders to be judicially probed include that of former provincial governor and nationalist leader Akbar Bugti, who was killed in a cave hideout in a 2006 military operation and was described in the package document as a “shaheed” (martyr).

The sitting, summoned by President Asif Ali Zardari, was prorogued after the presentation of the package which, the prime minister said, would be debated in another joint sitting to be called after Eidul Azha. The president later congratulated the government and political parties over the announcement of the package that he described in a statement as a “great leap forward” towards addressing the issues of the people of Balochistan and empowering them in accordance with their aspirations.

“We are deeply aware and conscious of the fact that certain political forces in Balochistan are outside the mainstream of politics,” Mr Gilani said in his speech about the Baloch politicians who had not taken part in the last election and other dissidents and added “We also realise that we have to promote an atmosphere of mutual trust and solidarity.” Describing it a sincere desire of his government as well as of whole parliament, he said “We want to hold dialogue with them. We are extending our hand of reconciliation and dialogue to our estranged brothers from Balochistan with the hope that they will respond positively and in an encouraging manner.”

The prime minister termed the package a “fruitful result ...of sincere consultative endeavours” of his 20-month-old government and said it would usher in a new era of progress in the province free of exploitation and based on justice.

Pledging to “employ all our resources to heal the broken hearts”, he said “We will make Balochistan a cradle of great civilisation, culture and traditions so that the historians would have to accept the fact that after the dark night of oppression, the emerging sun unleashed such a wave of solidarity and brotherhood that gave a new meaning to life in the province.” He said the package would bring Balochistan on a par with other provinces in regard to constitutional, political and economic rights and would also ensure ascendancy of the parliament.

The following are salient points of the package proposals

Constitution-related matters

* Constitutional amendments about provincial autonomy being considered by the parliamentary committee be addressed immediately.

* The committee considering deletion of the concurrent list, the Police Order of 2002 and the Balochistan Local Government Ordinance of 2001, effective implementation of article 153 on the Council of Common Interests, and implementation of articles 160 (NFC award), 154 (council functions and rules of procedure), 155 (interference with water supplies), 156 (National Economic Council), 157 (electricity projects), 158 (priority of requirements of natural gas) and 159 (broadcasting and telecasting).

* After change in the NFC award formula based on population, other criteria such as inverse population ratio, backwardness, poverty and resource generation be taken into consideration.

Political matters

* The federal government, in consultation with the provincial government, immediately release all political workers, except those charged for heinous crimes.

* Dialogue with all major stakeholders in the political spectrum of the province to bring them into the mainstream of politics.

* Facilitation of political exiles returning to Pakistan, except those involved in “acts of terrorism”.

* Unanimously passed provincial assembly resolution from 2002 to date relating to the province be implemented “within the legal framework of the constitution”.

* The Local Government Ordinance be amended by the provincial government “in view of the needs of the province”.

Administrative matters

* The federal government immediately review the role of federal agencies in the province and “stop all such operations that are not related to the pursuit of fighting terrorism”.

* The federal government announce withdrawal of army from Sui, to be replaced by the Frontier Corps (FC) and no proposals be formulated to construct new cantonments “except in frontier areas wherever required”.

* A commission to be constituted in respect of missing persons, to be headed by a sitting superior judiciary judge from Balochistan with federal defence and interior ministers and the provincial home minister as members to hold proceedings in camera.

* Missing persons to be identified, with release of those against whom there are no charge and trial of others before a competent court.

* An inquiry by the superior judiciary into the murder of Baloch political workers Ghulam Moammad, Lala Munir and Munir Ahmed.

* A fact-finding commission headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or a high court to determine “the circumstances leading to the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti Shaheed”.

* Halt to the construction of new cantonments in Sui and Kohlu “for the time being” and the army to be withdrawn from Sui after handing over to FC, which also to take over the already constructed Sui cantonment.

* Review from time to time of the policy of conversion of 'B' areas into 'A' areas and urban areas may have regular police.

* The FC's law-enforcement role to be under the chief minister, powers conferred under the customs act to be withdrawn and the coastguard to perform its primary duty of checking arms and narcotics smuggling.

* Checkposts of civil armed forces and other related agencies, other than those in border areas, to be in accordance with provincial government directions.

*An inquiry by the superior judiciary into allotment of land in Gwadar port area.

* Special quota of scholarships for Balochistan by the Higher Education Commission.

Economic matters

* While rationalisation of the royalty formula and gas development surcharge having been done, the concept of public-private ownership to be followed in areas of a district granted for exploration.

* All new mega projects to be initiated with the consent and approval of the provincial government and Gwadar to have a free economic zone with political activities there to be regulated by law framed in consultation with all stakeholders.

* Special economic package for Sui and armed forces to be systematically withdrawn from there.

* The federal government to immediately create 5,000 jobs for the province.

* The federal government to pay arrears of gas development surcharge (GDS) from 1954 to 1991, amounting to Rs120 billion, in 12 years.

* The province to be able to buy up to 20 per cent of right shares offered in open market in organisations like PPL, OGDCL and Sui Southern.

* The federal government to immediately give 20 per cent from its 30 per cent shares in Saindak project to the province, which will exclusively own it on completion and after withdrawal of the foreign company.

* Uniform gas price throughout the country for the calculation of GDS.

* Fishing trawlers to be restricted to 33km from the coast, to help small fishermen.

* Special incentives to local tribes to facilitate oil/gas exploration in Kohlu district now closed owing to security concerns.

* Allocation of the province in all poverty alleviation schemes to be proportional to percentage of people living below poverty line.

* The federal government to provide Rs1 billion for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons of Dera Bugti.