QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has welcomed the federal government`s decision to initiate negotiations with disgruntled Baloch leaders but said talks should be held only with those leaders who were angry on neglecting the province in development and complained about depriving the people oftheirdue rights.

Talks could not be held with those who were playing in the hands of `others` and implementing their agenda, he said while talking to journalists at Governor House here on Friday after the oath-taking ceremony of new governor of Balochistan Syed Zahoor Ahmed Agha.

Mr Alyani said that during the last three years the federal and provincial governments had jointly taken confidence building measures through development work in the province and therefore if talks were launched with someone, the government could show not 100 per cent but at least 50pc improvement in the province.

Replying to a question, the CM said that the federal and provincial governments were serious in holding talks with angry Baloch leaders who were abroad or in the country.He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had appointed JWP chief and tribal elder Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti as his special assistant on reconciliation in Balochistan and assigned him the task of holding talks with disgruntled Baloch insurgents.

`Mr Bugti is the first son of the soil who has government authority and mandate to hold talks with the angry people sitting abroad,` the chief minister said, expressing the hope that Mr Bugti would play a positive role in this regard.

Mr Alyani said that Mr Bugti as an elder of his tribe and head of his political party could play an important role in holding negotiations with angry Baloch leaders.

However, he suggested that more tribal elders should also be involved in the efforts to contact angry leaders to convince them of the need for dialogue.

Replying to a question, the chief minister said that the prime minister had appointed the new governor after considering different issues.

He said that Balochistan needed a functional governor and they hoped that Governor Zahoor Agha would play an important role in highlighting the issues ofthe province at thefederallevel.

He said that as the new governor had political background and was politically active, he would prove a helping hand for the provincial government in resolving issues pertaining to the federal government.