PESHAWAR, March 18: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has convened a meeting on Saturday to chalk out unanimous stance against the government’s decision of using force against civilians in Balochistan. The meeting planned to be held on the sidelines of Iqbal Zafar Jhagra’s daughter marriage, as most of the ARD leaders are due to participate in it.

The meeting in Mr Jhagra’s village will be chaired by ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim is likely to be attended by Raja Zafarul Haq, Choudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Tehmina Daulatana, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Rahimdad Khan and Pir Sabir Shah.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Jhagra, who is secretary-general of the alliance, said that the political alliance and his own party PML-N strongly condemned the use of force against the civilian population of Balochistan.

Mr Jhagra further said that he had personally tried to contact Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, however due to disconnection of telephone lines, he was unable to talk to him.

He claimed that the government had intentionally disconnected telephonic lines in Dera Bugti so that he would not be able to communicate the miseries of the area to the world community.

The PML-N’s leader alarmed that in case the operation was not stopped, then it could lead to 1971-like situation and ultimately pose threat to the country’s existence. He suggested that Balochistan crises could be solved through political dialogues and further added the opposition should be given due say in such dialogue.

The opposition has good links with Baloch leadership and they, opposition, could make the dialogue more result oriented, he added. He at the same time recalled the alliance political stance against Wana operation and believed that such types of operations would infuse feelings of insecurity in common man this would end his faith country governance system.