Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan postpones meeting
Pakistan Times Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan Thursday postponed its meeting after opposition's Makhdoom Amin Fahim said there was incident of cross firing between FC and Bugti tribesmen.

President Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain told reporters in his chamber at the Parliament House that the opposition members of the committee wanted to first assess the situation in the province before sitting in the meeting.

He said he has asked the opposition members to play their role in normalising the situation.

"We have offered them every logistic support they want in proceeding to Balochistan. We are ready to provide them helicopter or a C-130," Ch Shujaat said.

The PML President however, said so far the opposition members have not answered his proposal.

"We are trying to find a solution to the problem in Balochistan according to the wishes of the people of the province. We want development of Balochistan," Shujaat added.

He regretted that some of the political leaders did not want the solution to the problems which the people of Balochistan are facing.

When asked to name those political leaders, he declined but said some Replying to a question, he said the general elections will be held in 2007.

Jamali meets President

Meanwhile, Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali met President Pervez Musharraf at Rawalpindi in which discussions on issues relating to important national issues including the situation in Balochistan, constitutional proposals and law and order took place.

Credible sources say that the former Prime Minister said during the meeting that urgent steps must be taken to remove the increasing deprivation that is present in the masses. The constitutional proposals by the special committee of the parliament on the Balochistan issue also came under discussion during the meeting as well as issues related to the Balochistan package were deliberated.

President Musharraf reiterated that the government would not allow anyone to harm the country’s vital assets. Talks on the political situation prevailing in the country were also held during the meeting.●