LAHORE, Aug 3; The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has cautioned the government against the continuation of military operation in Balochistan as it could only add to the deep undercurrents of discontent in the province.

HRCP Chairperson Tahir Muhammad Khan and Secretary General Hina Jilani said in a statement issued here on Tuesday that the failure of the government to make public the purpose behind the operation and explain who the targets were or why Balochistan had been chosen to hunt them down added to the many doubts about the highly questionable action.

They said that the emerging evidence that the operation was leading to grave violations of fundamental rights and adding to the unrest in the province was deeply disturbing. The HRCP anxieties were all the greater because of lack of transparency about the operation already going on in South Waziristan and severe suffering being inflicted on the people of the area.

They were of the view that the handling of Balochistan affairs in a typically ham-handed fashion could only aggravate the tensions simmering in the province and lead to dangerous strife.

Reports that after the killing of several armed forces personnel in Khuzdar, students, activists and others had been randomly rounded up were indicative of disrespect for citizens' rights and sentiments.

They said that Balochistan had, historically, always been a sensitive area. The deep-rooted perceptions of discrimination and injustice that existed within the province would certainly be aggravated by the military action which could augur only ill both for future stability in the province and for harmony between the federating units of the country.