Gilani forms committee to convince all parties to convene on Balochistan APC summit

14 member committee will try and convince political leaders to convene for APC on Balochistan.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday took the first step in moving towards a consensual solution to the Balochistan crisis when he constituted a 14-member committee to contact all political leaders of the country and convince them upon a mutually convenient date for convening an All Parties Conference (APC) on Balochistan.

The committee comprises Leader of the House in Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Minister for Kashmir Affairs Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, Minister for Textile Industry Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Shah, Minister for Science and Technology Changez Jamali, Minister of Communication Dr Arbab Alamgir, Minister of State for Industries Ayatullah Durrani, Senators Mian Raza Rabbani Jahangir Badar, Dr Babar Awan and MNAs Raja Pervez Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nazar Muhammad Gondal and Sumsam Ali Bokhari.

Earlier former Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Information Secretary Pakistan Peoples Party Qamar Zaman Kaira called on the Prime Minister and discussed the holding of All Parties Conference on Balochistan.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Tuesday said the government will take national leadership on board to resolve Balochistan issue.

In a statement, she said, a committee has already been constituted to hold All Parties Conference (APC) soon and suggest measures to obviate sense of deprivation of the people of Balochistan.

"Pakistan Peoples Party leadership has transformed crisis into opportunities on several occasion" she said.

The Minister said soon after taking over, President Asif Ali Zardari had sought pardon from the people of Balochistan. The President launched Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package to help end the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan.

She praised the President for pursuing politics of reconciliation.

The Minister said PPP believes in serving the masses and added that the PPP was a symbol of the federation.