PRESS DIGEST - Pakistani Newspapers - Nov 24

These are the leading stories in Pakistan's newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy:

DAWN

-- The government will unfold a promised package on southwestern Baluchistan in parliament on Tuesday in a major political move to appease the long-standing dissent in the troubled province.

-- After fighting a bloody war in Afghanistan for more than eight years, the United States appears to have undertaken a re-think of its policy and has started engaging the Taliban in negotiations through Saudi and Pakistani intelligence agencies, sources said on Monday.

THE NEWS

-- Chief of the army staff General Ashfaq Kayani made it emphatically clear Monday that Washington will have to keep Pakistan on board while reviewing the policy about Afghanistan as Islamabad has a key role in ensuring and maintaining peace in the region.

-- A crucial meeting of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif decided on Monday that the party leaders would not meet President Asif Ali Zardari or hold talks until he implements the charter of democracy signed by Sharif and slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

DAILY TIMES

-- Progress and prosperity cannot be achieved without achieving self-reliance in defence production, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Monday.