Gilani concedes ‘trust deficit’ with Balochs

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: The Prime Minister, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, had conceded that there was a trust deficit between the Government and the Baloch people and his Government was trying to plug it with some concrete measures.

Addressing a news conference at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Monday, the Prime Minister there was a sense of mistrust for the past 63 years and it could not be addressed over night. He said that he was trying to restore the confidence of the Baloch people by addressing all the mistreatment of the past. “We believed in practical measures and not mere lip service,’ the Prime Minister told the journalists. “We want to end all the injustices of the past by adopting practical measures in this direction,” Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said.

When asked specifically about the missing persons, the Prime Minister said that they would be traced soon. He said he had asked the Provincial Government to prepare an authentic list of the missing persons so that concrete action could be taken. He said that there were some confusion about the list of people and incomplete names and address.

He said that he had consulted the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court before forming the Judicial Commission for tracing the missing people.

The Prime Minister said that the concern on the missing people would be addressed soon and they would be provided relief.

In regard to mass unemployment, the Prime Minister that the 5000 candidates, all jobless, would get their appointment letters in next few weeks. He said that the Federal Government would recruit around 5400 jobless people from Balochistan for the Federal Government Departments. He said that the Government intends to provide 20,000 jobs to the educated youth in Balochistan.

Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said that his Government wanted to strengthen state and democratic institutions and not the personalities. By implementing the decisions on good governance, the Government would achieve better results, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said.

He pledged to ensure the fruits of 18^th Constitutional amendments to the people in general. He said he would soon convene a high level meeting in which all the four Chief Ministers of the four provinces would attend and take important decisions in regard to devolution of powers to the Provinces.

He said Senator Raza Rabbani had been asked to continue his work for devolution of power by implementing all the decision taken under the 18^th Constitutional Amendments, including granting more autonomy to the Federating Units.

Referring to the Aghaz Huquq-i-Balochistan, he said, it was the beginning and not the end. The Government had already abolished the Concurrent List of the Constitution and handed over the powers to the Provinces.

More revenue from natural gas and also royalty on Sui Gas had been ensured to Balochistan under the historic National Finance Commission Award.

Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said that the Government would provide job opportunities to women also.