People of Balochistan, FATA to be brought at par with rests: Kakar
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Housing and Works Rehmatullah Kakar Sunday said the people of Balochistan and FATA are mature and sincere but need to be brought into national mainstream by administrating them under the laws as practiced in rest of the country.
“Force is no solution to any problem and all the issues should be resolved through table talks,” he told APP in an exclusive interview. Kakar said that there was no infrastructure in Balochistan andFATA, facilities of clean drinking water, education, health and employment were dismal and most importantly there was no sense of participation among the people.
These people have to be taken into confidence, he added.
About Baloch nationalists, Kakar said that “Baloch nationalists are our brothers and loyal to the motherland and the injustices committed to them in past need to be removed.” He hoped the coalition government would succeed in bringing them into the mainstream politics as mere table talk was solution to the problems. The reservations of the people of FATA and Balochistan should be removed at all costs as they are unpaid soldiers of the country. “We will have to see whether we are fighting the terroristsunintentionally or for someone else,” he observed.
About royalty of Sui gas to Balochistan, the minister said Punjab and Sindh were getting four times more royalty of gas than Balochistan which he termed as “injustice” to the people of this backward province.
The Minister said Rs 42 million gas royalty has not yet been paid to Balochistan, and gas has not been provided to most areas of the province, as promised.
He said the coalition government would bring gas royalty at equal footing and levy system would be revived in Balochistan.
He said the issue of FCR would be resolved according to the wishes of the people of FATA. The government has formed a Parliamentary Committee which will review it and all changes will bemade according to tribal’s traditions. Kakar was of the view that the Political Parties Act must be extended to FATA so that the people of the tribal areas are brought into the mainstream politics.
The PDA government will transfer more powers to the federating units, as decided in the 1973 constitution, because strong provinces will guarantee a strong Pakistan and a stable democracy.
He said that over-centralization was not good for the country as it has created many problems. There were provisions in 1973 Constitution on provincial autonomy but unfortunately the previousregimes never paid any heed to the vital issue and made no serious efforts for its resolution, he added. The Minister said the PDA government fully believes inprovincial autonomy and deserves credit for bringing the dormant issue into limelight and sincere in resolution of the issue according to 1973 constitution. He said the Concurrent List should also be abolished.
Kakar said that institutions like the Council of Common Interests, National Economic Council and National Finance Commission would be made more active. He said the tendency of treating these national issues like“holy cows” should be stopped and a sustained comprehensive approach be adopted for achieving consensus.
To a question about share of JUI-F in the federal cabinet, theJUI-F Senator said that it has been agreed that their party will get three federal ministries in three phases, chairmanship of Kashmir Committee, two federal parliamentary secretaries, five heads of Senate Standing Committees and seven members of the Islamic Ideological Council, post of Deputy Attorney General in Balochistan, share in all corporations according to their quota.