ISLAMABAD: Balochistan has demanded that the federal government should hand over control of the Frontier Constabulary to the provincial government to enable it to handle the law and order situation in the province in a more effective manner.

The demand was formally conveyed to President Asif Ali Zardari by Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi during a meeting at the Presidency on Friday.

The FC has been fighting outlaws and insurgents in some areas of Balochistan under the direct command of the Interior ministry.

Sources in the presidency said the Balochistan governor apprised the president of the security situation in the province and stressed that the problem would remain unresolved unless the command and control of FC was given to the provincial government.

President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said Governor Magsi and President Zardari discussed the law and order situation in Balochistan.

The president reiterated the government’s commitment to bring Balochistan on a par with other provinces in terms of development and to address grievances of the people of the province and their sense of deprivation.

The governor also briefed the president on several development projects in the province.

The present government has wrapped up a Rs10 billion project launched by Pervez Musharraf’s government for converting ‘B’ Area into ‘A’ Area to enforce policing all over the province.

A senior police official, who has held served at key posts in Balochistan, told Dawn that billions of rupees spent on the project had gone down the drain.

He is of the view that the Frontier Constabulary alone cannot handle the situation.

“If Frontier Constabulary can control only crimes it should be replaced with police in other provinces also,” the police official said.