ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP): The historic proposals for Aghaze Haqooq-e-Balochistan were presented to Joint Sitting of the Parliament pledging inquiry into Nawab Akbar Bugti’s killing, payment of gas royalty and suspension of construction of cantonments for time being.The landmark package also includes return of political leaders in exile except facing terrorism cases, commission on missing persons, review the role of federal agencies in the province, conversion of B Area into A areas; and judicial inquiry into allotment of land in Gawadar.

Presenting the proposals in the Joint Sitting of the Parliament, Chairman of the Constitutional Reforms Committee Mian Raza Rabbani said that it was the responsibility of the political leadership and the government to  work for development.

The preamble of the proposals said that government was conscious that the provinces had a sense of deprivation,in the structures of the Federation.

He said that it is a fact that the provisions of the 1973 Constitution in particular relating to the Federation - Province relationship have been circumvented.

Raza Rabbani further said that the financial assistance given by the present Federal Government in terms of Rs. 4.6 billion PSDP support, Rs. 2.8 billion paid as arrears of royalty for Uch - pending since 1995, Rs. 17.5 billion overdraft of Balochistan has been written off,but it is  realized that this is not a substitute to provincial autonomy.

He said that it is acknowledged that the question of provincial autonomy needs to be revisited and the ownership of the Provinces over their resources reasserted in the Constitution.

He said that the present government was determined, to correct the wrongs of history, by conferring the political, economic and cultural rights of the Provinces, so that the Federation may blossom.

Raza Rabbani said that recalling the documents made from time to time the following “Proposals” are made which are classified in four categories:

A.Constitution related matters Raza Rabbani said that in terms of the Resolutions passed by Parliament the Speaker has constituted a Parliamentary Committee which  has commenced work of considering various amendments in the Constitution, including on provincial autonomy.

He said that the quantum, form and scope of provincial autonomy will be determined by the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms which represents all shades of political opinion in Parliament.

The following provisions of the Constitution on provincial autonomy are under consideration of the Committee. (i) Deletion of the Concurrent List from the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution.  (ii) Deletion of the Police Order, 2002 and The Balochistan Local Government Ordinance 2001 from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. (iii) Effective implementation of Article 153 of the Constitution, Council of Common Interests. (iv)  Implementation of Article 160 of the Constitution, NFC Award. (v) Implementation of Articles 154, 155, 156, 157, 158 and 159 of the Constitution,he added.

Raza Rabbani announced that the NFC Award criteria has been changed from population and other criteria such as inverse population ratio, backwardness, poverty and resource generation need would be taken into consideration now.

B.Politically related Matters.

Raza Rabbani informed the Joint Sitting that the Federal Government in consultation with the Provincial Government should immediately release all political workers, except those charged under heinous crimes.

Initiation of a political dialogue with all major stake holders in the political spectrum of the Province, to bring them into the mainstream of politics would be started,he said.

According to the proposals the political exiles who return to Pakistan will be facilitated,except those involved in acts of terrorism,he told the Joint Sitting.

The unanimously passed Resolutions of the Assembly from 2002 till date related to the Province be implemented within the legal framework of the Constitution,Raza Rabbani said.The Balochistan Local Government Ordinance needs to be amended by the Provincial Government keeping in view the administrative needs of the Province,he announced.

Senator Raza Rabbani said the administrative aspect of the Package deals with the operation by federal agencies, construction of cantonment, constitution of commission on missing persons, murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti, stopping of construction of new cantonment, and judicial inquiry into the allotment of land in Gwadar.

He said the Package proposes that federal government should immediately review the role of federal agencies in the province and stop all such operations not related to the pursuit of fighting terrorism.

He said the government should announce withdrawal of army from Sui replacing it by the FC in pursuit of peace in the present situation. Proposals should not be formulated for the construction of new cantonments except in frontier areas, wherever required, he added.

The Balochistan Package proposed that a commission should be constituted in respect of the missing persons. The commission should be headed by sitting member of the superior judiciary from Balochistan, including the federal defense, interior minister and home minister of the province, adding the proceedings of such a commission shall be held in-camera.

Raza Rabbani said the names of missing persons should be identified and the persons against whom there are no charges should be released and the accused ones should be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction within seven days for trial.

He said such missing persons should be allowed legal consul of their choice and their family members should be informed accordingly and allowed visiting rights.

The Package also calls for a judicial inquiry by the superior judiciary into the murder of Baloch political workers including Ghulam Muhammad, Lala Munir and Munir Ahmed and the target killing in the province.

Rabbani said a fact finding commission headed by a retired Judge of the Supreme/High Court be constituted, to determine the circumstances leading to the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti Shaheed.

He said the Package calls for stopping the construction of new cantonments in Sui and Kohlu for the time being and that Army will be withdrawn from Sui after handing over the duties to FC that will also takeover the already constructed Cantonment in the area.

Calling for conversion of “B” areas into “A” areas and regular police for urban areas, Rabbani said the role of FC in law enforcement shall be under the chief minister of the province and Coast Guard perform its primary duty of checking smuggling of arms and narcotics along the coast and the border. The check posts established beyond their territorial limits as prescribed under the law shall be dismantled, he added.

He said the various checkposts established by the civil armed forces and other related agencies, other than border areas should be in accordance with the directions of the provincial government.

The Package, he said also called for conducting a judicial inquiry by the superior judiciary into the allotment of land at Gwadar, adding that some monies are due on the federal government the flood affected people of Balochistan that should be released.

Rabbani said Balochistan should be given a special quota of scholarships by the Higher Education Commission so that students of the province can pursue studies leading up to local or foreign masters and PhDs.

D.     ECONOMICALLY RELATED MATTERS

Mian Raza Rabbani said that rationalization of the Royalty formula and the Gas Development Surcharge have been done, and the concept of Public-Private ownership in the areas of a District granted for exploration should be followed.

According to the proposals due representation should be given to the Province on the Boards of the PPL; OGDC and Sui Southern Gas and distribution companies should be obligated under contract to provide on priority basis gas to the District where it is explored.In case of a successful find the Federal Government shall spend an amount equivalent of 10% of the net profits on development projects in the area.

About launch of mega projects he said that all new mega projects should be initiated with the consent and approval of the Provincial Government and the share of the Province in its profits to be assured in the agreement,and the concept of Public - Private ownership in such projects to be followed wherever possible,he said.

Raza Rabbani said that in Gwadar there shall be a free economic zone and political activities in the said zone may be regulated by an appropriate law to be framed in consultation with all the stakeholders and as far as possible, appointments in BS 1 to 16 should be from the local population.He also said that in Gwadar the local youth should be provided technical training and absorbed in GPA, GDA and Special Economic Zone.

The package calls for immediate finalization of compensation and reallocation of all those fishermen, who are being displaced due to the Gwadar Port and two jetties agreed to be constructed for the fishermen on the Eastern and Western Bays be constructed.

He said that a fisheries training center as required to be established under the 9^th Five Year Plan for Balochistan should be constructed, and portion of the revenue collected by the Gwadar Port Authority be allocated for the development of the Province.

Senator Rabbani further said that under the proposals the Chief Minister shall be the Ex-Officio Chairman of the Gwadar Development Authority and there shall be seven members from the Province on the Board of Directors and the Provincial Government of Balochistan will nominate a person duly qualified to be the Chairman of the Gwadar Development Authority.

The package has recommended a special development package for the area Sui area suggests armed forces systematic withdrawal from the area.

Raza Rabbani said that the Federal Government will create, with immediate effect, five thousand additional jobs for the province,and the quota for the province as prescribed in the rules/law for employment in Government, semi government, autonomous/ semi autonomous, corporations and bodies must be strictly complied with.

He said The Overseas Employment Foundation needs to facilitate the recruitment of skilled or unskilled labour for employment aboard,he said adding the local people living along the coast who meet the criteria should be given jobs in the Coast Guards.He said that the monitoring of the package shall be the responsibility of the Standing Committee for Establishment, Senate of Pakistan,Raza Rabbani informed the Joint Sitting.

Raza Rabbani said the federal government has agreed to pay the arrears of Gas Development Surcharge from 1954 to 1991 and the total amount of Rs. 120 billion is payable in 12 years.

He said in organizations such as PPL, OGDCL and Sui Southern, the province will be able to purchase up to 20% of the right shares when offered in the open market.

Regarding the SANDAK project, he said the center, from its 30% shares in the project, will immediately give 20% to the province. On its completion and when the foreign company withdraws, the project shall be owned exclusively by the province.

According to the proposals, there shall be a uniform price of gas throughout the country for the purpose of calculation of GDS and fishing trawlers should be restricted to the authorized limits of 33 kilometers from the coast.

Rabbani said the special incentives should be given to the local tribes in Kohlu District to facilitate exploration in the area that continues to be closed due to security concerns.

He said in all poverty alleviation schemes, the allocation of the province should be proportional to the percentage of people living below the poverty line.

Under the proposed profit sharing it is proposed that existing agreements on projects such as SANDAK, REKODIC and others where agreements have already been negotiated,  the federal government may reconsider the agreements concerning the sharing of income, profits or royalty between the federal government and the provincial government.

According to the Package, the federal government for the rehabilitation and settlement of the IDPs shall provide a sum of Rs.l billion and shall immediately undertake schemes which include the construction of small dams throughout the province but particularly in the districts of Quetta, Pasheen, Qila Abdullah, Qita Saifullah, Zhob etc.

Senator Raza Rabbani told the joint sitting of the Parliament that Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package also proposed a monitoring mechanism.

It states that the federal government, provincial government, other departments or agencies involved in the implementation of the proposals shall brief the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on the status of implementation on monthly basis.

He said the federal government and the provincial government shall every three months lay a report before both Houses of Parliament, separately, on the state of implementation of the proposals. Both the Houses shall allocate appropriate time for discussion on the      said report.

Raza Rabbani said the Standing Committee on Establishment of the Senate shall present a report every three months on creating employment opportunities for people of Balochistan.

After laying of report in the Senate, the Chairman Senate would transmit it to the Speaker  National Assembly for information of that House.

Concluding the proposals, Senator Raza Rabbani said the Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination shall at the end of each financial year certify to both the Houses of Parliament separately, the amount of monies spent for the implementation of these proposals.