Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package: one-fourth of 61 proposals implemented

The government has implemented one-fourth of 61 proposals contained in the Haqooq-e-Balochistan package, sources told Business Recorder, here on Tuesday. Senator Mian Raza Rabbani prepared the package that was divided into five categories: constitutional, political, administrative, economic and monitoring mechanism.
The parliament formally approved the package unanimously on November 23, 2009 and a committee headed by Raza Rabbani was charged with the responsibility of implementing the package. Later, Interior Minister, Rehman Malik replaced Rabbani as the head of the committee to oversee the package, however, the pace of implementation remains very slow.
After the passage of almost one and half years, only 15 proposals have been fully implemented, 12 are in the process of being implemented while 34 proposals are in the middle stages of implementation. The package was based on 39 points that proposed the facilitation of the return of political exiles, the immediate release of political workers and political dialogue with major stakeholders in the province.
Senator Nawabzada Haji Mir Lashkari Raisani who is from the ruling PPP seems unhappy with the implementation process. He said that Balochistan package, which was aimed at placating the concerns of Balochi people, has not facilitated them at any stage.
He said that the issue of missing persons has not been fully solved, adding there was not a single inch of progress in the formation of Judicial Commission. First there was issue of missing persons and now there was issue of dead-bodies, he added. He was of the view that there was no advancement on the Aghaz Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package.
The administrative matters of the package included a fact-finding mission, headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or a high court to determine the circumstances leading to the death of the late Akbar Bugti, a judicial inquiry into the killing of three Baloch nationalist leaders, cessation of construction of cantonments in Sui and Kolhu areas, review of the role of federal agencies in the war on terror in provinces and the withdrawal of the armed forces from these areas.
Check posts established by civil-armed forces should be redirected in accordance with the directions of the provincial government, the package said. In the political matters the federal government in consultation with the Balochistan government should immediately release all political workers except for those involved in serious crimes and start political dialogue with major stakeholders to bring them into mainstream politics.
Other proposals of the package include return of political exiles except for those involved in terrorism and the Balochistan Local Government Ordinance and the Balochistan Police Order should be amended in accordance with the requirements of the province. The economic matters of the package include that the federal government should ensure the rationalisation of the royalty formula for natural resources, and provinces should be given their due representation in boards of directors of various companies such as OGDCL, PPL and Sui Southern Gas Pipeline Ltd.
All mega projects should be initiated with the consent of the provincial government, and jobs from Grade 1 to 16 should be given to the local people, in addition to giving 10 percent of the total profits for the development of areas with natural resources.
Constitutional matters of the package include a constitutional reforms committee of parliament and several suggestions such as the deletion of the concurrent list and restriction of the NFC Award criteria for provincial autonomy were under consideration. Other matters being considered include the effective implementation of Article 153 of the constitution, the implementation of Article 160 of the constitution and the implementation of Articles 154, 155, 156, 157, 158 and 159 of the constitution.
Under Aghaz Haqooq-e-Balochistan package, a monitoring mechanism was proposed that federal, provincial and other agencies involved in the implementation of these recommendations brief the national security committee of parliament on a monthly basis.
Work on some important proposals is in rough draft phase, according to the Establishment Division report. These include electricity generation projects; giving priority over natural gas to the Baloch; giving control of broadcasting and telecasting infrastructure to the provincial government; starting a political dialogue with Baloch stakeholders; facilitating the return of exiled leaders; reviewing the role of federal agencies in Balochistan and the role of the Frontier Corps in law enforcement under the chief minister's command; withdrawing the Coast Guards' power to exercise delimitation of borders under the Customs Acts and limiting them to performance of their primary duties only; and giving the provincial government control of check posts in non-border areas.
Officials said that the provincial and federal governments were constrained by a lack of funds, but would do their best to implement the proposals by the end of 2013.