Dialogue To Address Balochistan's Issues Started: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: The government has started dialogue with stakeholders to address the issues of Balochistan, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Saturday

He said the government was moving in the right direction to address the problems of the Baloch people through dialogue and constitutional means.

Talking to members of the Youth Parliament at the Presidency, he said a parliamentary committee had already been formed for reforms in the constitution, which would also look into the issues of provincial autonomy and the concurrent list.

Wrong: The president said the people of Balochistan were wronged in the past and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had apologised to them despite the fact that "we were not responsible for those acts". Zardari said the issue of foreign interference in Balochistan destabilising the province's law and order was also raised by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with his Indian counterpart during their meeting at Sharam el Sheikh.

Responding to a question about the violation of Indus Basin Water Treaty by India, the president said he raised the issue with the Indian prime minister during their first meeting.

Water: He said the government was aware of the worsening water shortage in the country and was taking every step for its conservation. Zardari said a special assistant to the prime minister on water had been appointed, which reflected the significance that the government attached to the issue.

The president also emphasised the importance of water conservation and said modern ways and technologies of irrigation should be utilised for conservation of precious water.

He also highlighted the importance of increasing the per acre yield of various agricultural crops and optimising the production of sugarcane to produce ethanol fuel.

Zardari said the government was seeking Chinese help and expertise for enhancing the per acre yield of wheat, rice, cotton and other crops. About energy crisis, the president said the government had a long-term strategic vision to tackle the problem.

He said that small and big dams at various locations could generate upto 60,000 megawatts of electricity and negotiations for 20,000-megawatt projects were already underway. app

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/print.asp?page=2009\08\09\story_9-8-2009_pg7_1