KARACHI: Political forces urged to help beat drug mafia
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, July 25: Secretary General of the National Party Hasil Khan Bizenjo on Sunday stressed the need for promoting a strong political culture to counter the threat from the emerging ‘drug mafia’ in Lyari.
The mafia, he observed, was fast becoming a strong evil force in the town as political parties had, for some years, stopped playing their traditional role in the social uplift of local people.
Mr Bizenjo was speaking at a meeting, organized by Baloch Ittehad Tehrik to pay tributes to its slain leader Anwar Bhaijan.
He said BIT chief had also fallen victim to drug mafia’s onslaught as he had strongly been opposing its activities and their consequences, including the gang war. Hundreds of youths of the locality had fallen prey to that war, he observed.
Had the political forces of the area remained active in social sector, the tragic incident could not have happened, he said, calling upon all the parties to counter the mafia jointly and forcefully.
The meeting was addressed by Sindhi nationalist leader Bashir Qureshi, NP leader Usman Baloch, BIT leaders Hanif Baloch and Abid Brohi, former nazim of Lyari Town Abdul Khalique Juma and others.
Lauding the services rendered by Anwar Bhaijan, they said the deceased had devoted his entire life for the unity of Baloch people and other oppressed classes in the society.
The BIT leaders renewed their pledge to uphold the mission of their deceased leader.
Earlier, talking to Dawn soon after his arrival here from Quetta, Mr Bizenjo discussed in detail the idea floated by Jamhoori Watan Party leader Nawab Akbar Bugti on the formation of a single party to represent all Baloch people.
Mr Bizenjo said his party did not oppose the idea, however, it was debatable and needed to be explained.
Mr Bizenjo, a former MNA from Balochistan, said that the idea had also been discussed at the central committee of the National Party which had endorsed the concept in principal as the party firmly believed that the unity of Baloch people was vital to achieve the goal of restoration of their rights.
In this regard, he recalled, an NP delegation had held a meeting with Nawab Bugti at his native village.
“We have always favoured the unity of Baloch nationalist parties and progressive forces, which needs political stability through unity of nationalist democratic, liberal and progressive forces.”
In this context, he referred to the merger of Pakistan National Party and Balochistan National Movement to form a single party, and described the development as start of the process.
In reply to a question, he said the government had not taken NP into confidence while dealing with any issue of Balochistan. He alleged that the government was trying to create a rift among parties on ethnic basis.
