07 August 2004	Saturday	20 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

PESHAWAR, Aug 6: Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that a military operation has been launched in Balochistan in the areas of nationalist leaders to 'punish' them for raising voice against injustices to their province.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, the ANP chief said that Balochistan was a political crisis and dialogue rather than force was needed to resolve it.

The ANP chief warned that use of force would only add to disharmony among the federating units. "Military action is no solution to a political issue, rather it makes things difficult to keep the federation intact."

Criticizing the government for filing cases against Baloch nationalist leaders, Asfandyar Wali said it would aggravate the already tense relations between provinces.

"I ask President Pervez Musharraf whether the government's policy viz-a-viz Balochistan is in line with the objectives he had set after assuming power four years ago under which strong emphasis was laid on creating harmony among provinces," the ANP chief asked.

He alleged that a military operation had been launched in the areas of Nawab Akbar Bugti and Attaullah Mengal to victimize them for raising voice for the rights of their province.

"If the federal government has any respect for the constitution then it should stop military action because asking for rights is not against the constitution," the ANP chief added.

Political issues could and should be resolved only through dialogues, he added. The country had a bitter experience of use of force to settle political issues when it lost its eastern half in 1971 when force was used to suppress people's voice, he added.

"We have not learnt any lesson from the past and continue to use force to suppress the voice of smaller provinces," the ANP chief added. He said the federal government's stand that the army was not being used in Balochistan was not correct.

"The fact that a military operation is going on in Balochistan is evident from the statements of the ISPR DG," Mr Asfandyar Wali said, adding that the military spokesman had been issuing statements which did not categorically deny it.

This clearly reflected that an allout military operation was under way in Balochistan, he claimed. The ANP chief also criticized the government for filing a case against former chief minister Akhtar Mengal, a nationalist leader, for being allegedly involved in a recent attack on law-enforcement personnel in Khuzdar.

"Does it make any sense to believe that a former chief minister would have taken up a rifle and gunned down law enforcers?" Mr Khan asked. The killing of soldiers in Khuzdar, followed by an attack on an official convoy, should not be looked at as separate incidents. They appeared to be part of a series of terror attacks that took place in various parts of the country in recent months.

"These two incidents alone do not justify the use of force in Balochistan," the ANP chief said. If the two incidents provided good reasons to use force in Balochistan, then attacks on the life of President Musharraf in Rawalpindi, attempt to assassinate Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz in Fatehjang and bomb explosions in Karachi should have resulted in similar operations in other troubled areas of the country, he maintained.

"Why doesn't the federal government use military in these areas to establish its writ and improve the law and order situation?" he asked. He said the federal government was bent upon destroying the unity of the federating units, posing a threat to the sovereignty of the country.

The country, he maintained, was heading towards the 1971-like situation when it lost its eastern wing after force was used to curb people's voice. "This is the fourth military action the people of Balochistan have been forced to endure," he said and asked whether it was a sin to raise voice for the rights of people.

ASSURANCE: The ANP chief assured his party's complete support to the struggle of Baloch nationalist forces while remaining within the parameters of the constitution, law of the land and democratic norms.

"We are ready to hold rallies - independently or jointly with them - to protest against the government's repressive policies which endanger the solidarity of the country," Mr Khan said.

He called upon all liberal and democratic forces to join hands to stop the ruling party from sowing seeds of hatred among people belonging to different nationalities. "If we want to save the federation then we should, at least, agree to a common minimum programme by joining hands to counter the steps harmful to the integrity of the country," said the ANP chief.

DEMANDS: The ANP chief asked the federal government to put an end to the military action in Balochistan, withdraw cases filed against Baloch leaders and send troops back to barracks to pave the way for holding a dialogue to resolve all political issues. ANP's central leaders, including Begum Nasim Wali, and several party workers were present on the occasion.