QUETTA, April 17: Leaders of the Pakistan People's Party, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and nationalist parties on Saturday vowed to continue their struggle against the military dictatorship and for the strengthening of the federal parliamentary system.
Speaking at a seminar held by the Jamhoori Watan Party against the construction of cantonments in Balochistan and the Gwadar port project, they said the rights of the province's people should be upheld. Former chief minister Mir Hamayun Marri presided over the seminar.
They observed that the political parties through a collective struggle could ensure the sovereign status of parliament, independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press.
MNA Tehmina Daultana of the PML-N said it was the responsibility of the democratic forces to collectively struggle against the military dictatorship.
She accused the government of political victimization and cited the conviction of her party's acting president Javed Hashmi.
She said former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif would soon return to the country to join the struggle against the government.
She said her party would strive to achieve the rights of the people of Balochistan. She said the Seraiki belt in Punjab was confronting similar problems.
Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan of the Awami National Party said his party would continue struggling for democracy and constitutional rule but its cooperation with the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy was conditional to making provincial autonomy the prime issue.
He warned that disregarding the resolutions adopted by the NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan assemblies against the construction of the Kalabagh dam, the greater Thar canal and cantonments would not be in the interest of the country.
Agha Shahid Hasan Bugti of the JWP said the establishment of cantonments in Gwadar, Sui and Kohlu and the Gwadar port project were issues of life and death for the Baloch as those would disturb the demographic ratio in Balochistan.
He warned the local people in Gwadar would not allow settlers to deprive them of their land.
PPP leader Nafis Siddiqui said his party believed in granting of rights to Balochistan's people but it was against politics of hatred as that would strengthen the hands of the military rulers.
He said the designs of the rulers, who wanted to divide the democratic forces, should be frustrated.
Dr Hayee Baloch of the National Party said the Baloch would not compromise on their national identity, land and cultural heritage.
He accused the rulers of misleading the people about the development projects.
He said he was not against development but would resist any scheme aimed at turning the Baloch into a minority in their province.
Gul Mohammad Jakrani of the Sindh National Front and Bashir Qureshi of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz said usurpers had first targeted Sindh and now had diverted their attention towards Balochistan to deprive the natives of their land. Some speakers said the common man in Punjab was as much oppressed as a Baloch and struggle should be waged against the oppressors.
