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KARACHI, Feb 3: Opposition leader in the Balochistan Assembly Kachkol Ali Baloch has called for granting full autonomy to all provinces so that they could manage their affairs independently.
He was of the view that the current crisis in Balochistan was the result of the 'policy of over-centralization of powers' adopted by the federation, thereby weakening the federating units.
Talking to Dawn after his return to Karachi from Gwadar on Thursday, the Baloch leader criticized the colonization approach of the successive rulers toward the smaller units of the federation, saying that their lust for powers had created messy conditions in the country.
He claimed that under the present constitutional arrangement, all powers had been vested in the federal government which eventually usurped all natural and other resources of provinces.
The opposition leader, representing National Party and elected from Mekran region, said: "We have been struggling for our due rights since long, but our grievances have never been addressed."
According to him, the federal government's decision to establish cantonment in the Sui area on the pretext of protecting gas installations, thus dislocating Baloch populace, has turned the situation in the area 'highly explosive'.
He warned that any attempt to dislocate Baloch people from their native land would be resisted tooth and nail, saying: "we will never accept colonization of our land." Kachkol Ali said that security of national assets in the province was primarily the responsibility of Balochistan government and the Baloch people living there.
He stressed that the matter could be resolved with the consent of the people and their representatives, and there was no need for establishing a garrison or cantonment and displacing local population by spending a huge amount of public money which could otherwise be used for developmental purposes.
Regretfully, the NP leader alleged, the government's intentions were mala fide as it was not clear whether it was more interested in occupying the land and dislocating people than finding a political settlement of the issue.
He warned that any use of force might lead to an armed conflict for which only the government would be held responsible. However, he made it clear that the Baloch people would pose resistance as a nation if any armed action was taken against their brethren in any part of Balochistan.
GWADAR: In reply to a question, the opposition leader dispelled the impression that the nationalists were opposed to development projects. He accused the government of ignoring the legitimate interests of local population and adopting a colonial approach towards the problem.
He said the government must take concrete steps in restoring their confidence that they would not be converted into minority and that all matters pertaining to the development of the region would be settled through consultation with their leaders.
In reply to a question, he said the government had not taken any opposition leader into confidence while launching these projects. When asked about possibility of a negotiated settlement of the Balochistan issue, the National Party leader said his party believed that political issues must be resolved through political means.
This objective, he added, could not be achieved without creating a congenial atmosphere. In this regard, the NP leader suggested that the government should take confidence-building measures.
Initially, he said, the government should pullout troops from Sui and stop all sorts of military activity in the area as their presence could lead to an armed conflict.
The move could lead to an improvement in the situation which could turn the atmosphere conducive to a political dialogue, he added. He also suggested that in future, para-military forces should remain under the control of provincial government as maintaining law and order was the prime responsibility of the provincial government.
PACKAGE: Referring to the proposed 'Balochistan package' and constitutional amendments, Kachkol Ali Baloch said the opposition had not received details of the package as yet. "We would be able to express our views only after going through the contents of the package," he said.
