ISLAMABAD, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday felicitated the government, the political parties and the people over the announcement of the Balochistan package to make the province an equal partner in the Federation, the official APP news agency reported.

    Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani presented the Aghaaz-e-Huqook Balochistan package to a joint sitting of the Parliament on Tuesday afternoon. The landmark package contains number of initiatives to address the problems of Balochistan people and bring them to mainstream.

    President's Spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that the president described the announcement of the empowerment package as "a giant leap forward" towards addressing the issues of the people of the province and empowering them in accordance with their aspirations.

    The president recalled that Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, during her visit to Balochistan a fortnight before her assassination in December 2007, had promised the people of the province that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) after coming into power would earnestly address their grievances.

    Thereafter the PPP, even before coming into power publicly and formally apologized to the people of Balochistan for the wrong and injustice done to them in the past by successive governments. It was followed by the setting up of a Benazir Bhutto Committee on Balochistan to formulate proposals for addressing the grievances of the people in consultation with all stake holders. Finally a Parliamentary Committee was set up by the government which drew up the Empowerment Package in consultation with all political parties.

    President Zardari said that the provision of release of all political workers, return of the exiles, the initiation of political dialogue across the political spectrum in the province and the setting up of a commission in respect of the missing persons were measures of far reaching significance which will have a salutary impact on the people of Balochistan.

    The president said that the decision to pay the arrears of Gas Development surcharge from 1954-1991 amounting to 120 billion rupees (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) to Balochistan in a period of 12 years would address a long standing economic demand of the province.

    Zardari said that all those who worked tirelessly in preparing the package and all the political parties and stake holders that participated in the process and lent their support to it deserved the gratitude of the people of Balochistan, indeed of the whole country. He said it was a thanks-giving day as a pledge made to the people had been redeemed.

    The president also advised the government that an effective monitoring mechanism should be put in place to oversee the implementation of the proposals announced Tuesday. He said that he will closely watch the implementation of these proposals.