November 6, 2001	Tuesday	Shaba’an 19, 1422

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QUETTA, Nov 5: Former Balochistan chief minister and leader of the Jamhoori Watan Party, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, has said that America should use diplomatic and political means to resolve the Afghan issue peacefully, instead of killing innocent people through barbaric bombardment to impose its will on Afghans.

In a statement issued from Dera Bugti on Sunday, the veteran Baloch politician said the US leadership should not forget that tackling issues through force had not been fruitful in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Somalia, Iran and others countries.

Condemning the air strikes, he said if the US was interested in formation of governments according to the aspirations of people then it should force its friendly countries to set up democratic governments and stop supporting the Arab states and Pakistani military government.

He said that by extending cooperation to army generals in Pakistan, the American leadership was trampling over the aspiration of people in the country.

Bugti was also critical of the lifting of ban on the army rulers by the US without the restoration of democracy. He said the step had strengthened the hands of the military government.

He said the un-elected government would use the opportunity to extend its rule by getting Pakistan entangled in conflicts with neighbour countries which will put the country’s integrity at stake.

The JWP leader observed that support to the military rulers would affect the democratic movement in the country, struggling for constitutional rule duly elected by the voters.

He demanded that the US and Britain should stop extending cooperation to army rulers.

He said the rulers could not be allowed to formulate policy on the Afghan issue keeping just dollars and pounds in mind against the aspirations of the people.

Nawab Bugti said the military should immediately quit power and hold polls to hand powers over to the elected representatives of the people.