January 15, 2006	Sunday	Zilhaj 14, 1426

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ISLAMABAD Jan 14: Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani has asked the government to halt military operation in Balochistan immediately. In a statement issued here on Saturday, Senator Rabbani said the regime was pitting provinces against one another which would have disastrous consequences for the federation.

“History teaches us that political issues can be resolved only through a political dialogue and not by force. The rulers must heed this lesson of history before they are taught it the hard way.

“The party calls for an immediate end to the ongoing military operation in the province and demands that political forces should be taken into confidence to address the political issues,” the PPP deputy secretary-general said and called upon the government to stop playing with fire.

As stated by the PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, “violence in Balochistan is a direct consequence of the imposition of military rule in the country. Every military rule in the country has spawned secessionist tendencies and Musharraf regime is no exception,” Mr Rabbani said.

Ayub dictatorship led to alienation of East Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh. Gen Yahya Khan’s dictatorship resulted in the Baloch uprising, which the subsequent PPP government had to deal with. After the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Sindh was ready to secede, but the PPP came to the rescue of the federation.

“General Musharraf’s military dictatorship has resulted in military operation in Waziristan, rocket and missile attacks on civilians in Bajaur allegedly by foreign forces, mass discontent and uprising in Sindh and NWFP over the KBD and now an insurgency in Balochistan,” the PPP leader said.

Continuing the use of force, he said, would only further alienate the people of Balochistan and pit federating units against one another.

“As a result of the ill conceived policies of the regime that are designed only to perpetuate itself in power the country is faced with grave political crisis that has threatened the integrity of the federation.

“It is most worrying that the Musharraf regime has not taken any note of the grave incident of the killing of over two dozen people in Bajaur,” Mr Rabbani said.