20 January 2005	Thursday	09 Zilhaj 1425

KARACHI, Jan 19: The All-Parties Conference held here on Wednesday has called for finding a political solution to the Balochistan problem through a dialogue , stressing that any military operation would complicate the issue and put the country's security and solidarity at stake.

The call was made in a resolution adopted by the conference on After Wana, army action in Balochistan and its implications held under the auspices of the Jamaat-i-Islami at the Idara Noor-i-Haque. The APC was presided over by Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmed.

The conference condemned the 'threatening posture' of the military rulers and federal government towards citizens, and demanded that a joint session of the parliament be summoned to discuss the Balochistan.

Expressing complete solidarity with the Balochistan people and their leaders, it assured them that they would not be left alone in this hour of trial and tribulation.

It reminded the military rulers that handling political affairs, operating banks or industrial units, dealing in real estate and selling goats were not the business of the armed forces. "Armed forces are meant for defending the country's frontiers,'' it said, adding, that their indulgence in other affairs had made it impossible for them to defend the geographical boundaries.

Demanding arrest of all those involved in the rape of a lady doctor in Balochistan, the APC said that while the matter of safety and security of national assets was unquestionable, threat to the life and property of citizens could not be regarded as less important.

The APC called for ensuring autonomy for all provinces under the 1973 constitution and demanded that grievances of smaller provinces be removed and positive attitude be adopted towards them for the sake of national harmony, unity and solidarity.

Prof Ghafoor said that Gen Musharraf owed Balochistan people an apology for the threats he hurled at them. He recalled that Gen Musharraf had visited Bangladesh in 2002 and made an apology for what had happened in 1971, besides laying floral wreath on the graves of the war victims. "But today, a situation similar to the pre-'71 war is being created in Balochistan,'' he deplored.

Akhtar Mengal, President of the Balochistan National Party, told the conference that the 56-year history of Pakistan was witness to the fact that the hands of all the successive rulers, whether in uniform or Sherwani, were stained with the blood of Balochistan people.

Criticizing the military leadership, he said: "It seems as if it is not the army of the whole country, but the army of a particular province. We want to know whether it is raised to fight the enemy, or its own people.

Whenever there is an opportunity, it appears ready to conquer its own people.'' He asked that how long sufferings and tribulations of Balochistan people would last. The harshness in our attitude was the outcome of 57-year long period of sufferings, he added.

Prof N. D. Khan of the PPP said that unity of people and their political parties had blocked the rulers from carrying out an army operation in Balochistan. Why the government was not taking up the matter in the parliament which very much existed? he asked.

Mairaj Mohammad Khan, a senior politician, warned of a possible uprising in the entire country if a military operation was launched in Balochistan. He lamented that the military rulers were prepared to settle issues with India through peaceful means, but in the case of Balochistan, they appeared bent upon a military solution.

Shahi Syed of the ANP said that attempts to bypass parliament in resolving sensitive national issues were tantamount to insult to the elected house. Maulana Abdul Karim Abid of the JUI-F remarked that the rulers who had even failed to get two kidnapped judges recovered, had been hurling threats of conquering masses.

Salim Zia of the PML-N expressed the view that only elected people could resolve the issue being faced by the country. The others who spoke on the occasion were Ali Hussain Chandio (STPP), Hafiz Mohammad Taqi (JUP), Syed Zia Abbas (NPP), Basharat Mirza (PDP), Ghulam Sarwar Awan (PPI), Shamsheer Khan (MQM-H), Sardar Rahim (PML-N) and Hafiz Fazle Karim (Tehrik-i-Insaf).