June 15, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 14, 1424

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QUETTA, June 14: The army and navy’s excessive demand for land will lead to eruption of violence in the Gwadar area, Jamaat-i-Islami Balochistan’s Amir Maulana Abdul Haq Baloch said on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference here, the JI leader also expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the province, saying that the party would start a week-long protest campaign (June 15-22) to make the government realize the problems being faced by the province’s people.

Warning about the possibility of an armed conflict, he said that the government should address the qualms of the people living near Gwadar on a priority basis, adding that resort to violence would not be in the country’s interest.

The provincial chief of the JI accused both the army and the navy of seeking to take over land well beyond their needs, saying they were demanding vast areas in and around the Gwadar seaport.

The people, he said, were very sensitive about the land issue.

Criticizng the provincial government’s intention to settle 500,000 to 600,000 people near the Gwadar deep seaport, he said that it would create an imbalance for the local population.

Stressing the need for taking the local population into confidence in this regard, he said that the government should refrain from taking a unilateral decision in this regard.