PPP to convene APC on Balochistan issue

The Co-Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Sunday set up a committee for reconciliation to convene an all parties conference (APC) on Balochistan to address the grievances of its people and bringing them into the national mainstream as means for restoring peace in the province.The PPP committee, to be headed by Asif Ali Zardari, includes Jehangir Bader, Lashkari Raisani, Ijaz Jhakrani, Senator Babar Awan and Saadullah.The reconciliation committee has been tasked to contact leaders of other political parties and stakeholders for participation in the APC to launch concerted effort for search for normalcy in the province.MNA Ijaz Jhakrani will hand-deliver invitation letters, signed by PPP Co-Chairman, to the heads of all political parties for participation in the conference. Although firm date for holding the APC will be finalised in consultation with other political parties, it is hoped that it will be held within the next ten days.In a statement here, Senator Zardari said that it was imperative to develop national consensus for addressing the problems and grievances of the people of Balochistan.He said that the PPP had already taken the first step by apologising to the people of the province for the wrongs done to them in the past. However, mere apology was not enough, and concrete steps needed to be taken to translate the spirit into a reality, he said.The PPP Co-Chairman expressed hope that all political parties would join hands on board on this critical national issue for saving the federation. He said that provincial autonomy, mysterious kidnappings of political activists, detention of political workers, grinding poverty, increasing militarisation of the province, undertaking mega projects without addressing the concerns of the people and the increasing isolation of its people were the issues that beset the province. ‘We must develop a national consensus to address these issues urgently’, he added.