PPP to call APC on Balochistan
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday set up a Committee for Reconciliation to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) on Balochistan for addressing the grievances of its people and bringing them into the national mainstream as means for restoring peace in the restive province.
The PPP Committee to be headed by the Party’s Co-Chairman Senator Asif Ali Zardari includes as its members Jehangir Bader Secretary General of the Party, President PPP Balochistan Mir Lashkari Raisani, MNA Ijaz Jhakrani, Senator Dr. Babar Awan and the deputy general secretary of the Balochistan chapter of the Party Mr. Saadullah.
The Reconciliation Committee has been tasked to contact leaders of other political parties and stakeholders for participation in the APC to launch a concerted effort for search for normalcy in the province. MNA Ijaz Jhakrani will hand deliver invitation letters signed by the PPP Co-Chairman to the heads of all political parties for participation in the All Parties Conference.
Although firm date for holding the APC will be finalized in consultation with other political parties, it is hoped that it will be held within the next ten days.
In a statement on Sunday, Senator Asif Ali 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 apologizing 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 the hope that all political parties will 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 militarization 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 concluded.