18 January 2005	Tuesday	07 Zilhaj 1425

SUKKUR, Jan 17: The leader of the opposition in senate, Raza Rabbani, has said the government will harm solidarity of the country if it does not resolve the Balochistan issue through a dialogue and uses force.

He observed this while speaking at a public meeting in Rohri on Monday. The People's Party Parliamentarians leader said the Balochistan issue was a sensitive one and accused the government of committing excesses against the small provinces.

He maintained that use of force in Balochistan could lead to dismemberment of the country and said the matter could only be resolved through a dialogue. He said the government had formed a parliamentary committee for political solution of the issue and also talked to Baloch leaders.

However, he regretted, the committee had not submitted its report but the use of force was being pondered. Senator Rabbani alleged that the rulers wanted to pitch people against each other.

He said the government was denying rights to the small provinces. He said the people of Balochistan were demanding their rights but Gen Pervez Musharraf was subjecting them to army action.

Criticizing economic policies of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, he said the premier was following polices of the World Bank and the IMF which would lead to control of multinational companies our resources of the country and make lives of the poor further miserable.

He regretted that clerks and labourers were being sacked by private companies and government departments in the name of rightsizing whereas officers were being appointed on Rs100,000 salary. He said prices of petrol, gas and electricity were being increased on instructions of the World Bank.