February 4, 2006	Saturday	Muharram 5, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 3: Baloch parliamentarians have asked the federal government to withdraw troops from the province and solve the issue through talks. Speaking at a discussion on “Balochistan crisis: the way out” organized by the South Asia Free Media Association (Safma) here, Senators Sanaullah Baloch and Abdur Rauf Mengal said they were not opposed to disarmament but the government should take the lead in this regard.

Sanaullah Baloch said 1,79,000 troops deployed in Balochistan in 1973 continued to exploit the resources and usurp the rights of the Baloch people at gun point. He alleged that para-military forces were using poisonous gas against the people due to which many children had been killed. He said the tribal system could be eliminated in the province by promoting education.

He, however, said that under a strategic decision Balochistan had been made an unattractive province. He suggested raising a new para-military force in the province by employing locals on the pattern of Punjab, if at all there was need for it.

He observed that the Balochistan problem could be easily handled and opined that it only needed a change in the attitude of the federation. He said the federating units should be given their rights.

He demanded withdrawal of para-military forces from the province and bringing the incidents of disappearance and extra- judicial killings to an end.

He pointed out that 64 out of 72 administrative posts in Balochistan were held by the outsiders. He said there was a complete lack of understanding about the Balochistan situation in the rest of the country.

He said there was a misconception that Nawab Akbar Bugti was getting billions of rupees as gas royalty. He said no individual could get royalty and it was received by the Baloch government. He said Akbar Bugti got Rs70 to Rs75 million per month as rent of his property.

Mr Baloch said the military action in Balochistan had started soon after the independence of Pakistan when military entered Qalat on 15 April, 1948. He rejected the claims of the government that no military operation was going on in the province. He said there was one troop for every 26 Balochis.

He said the National Finance Award was given on the basis of population, while the factor of backwardness was ignored. He said Sui gas had been given to Punjab in 1964, while Balochistan, which produced it, got it in 1986.

He observed that development, exploration and exploitation of natural resources should be the right of the provinces. He said there was no need for two more cantonments in the province and pointed out that there were already 59 para-military facilities and four bases there.

Rauf Mengal said the para-military forces had arrested 6,000 people in the province, who were not only from Sui or Kohlu but also from all over the province.

He said a relative of Sardar Akhtar Mengal had recently become victim of extra-judicial killing. He said the extra- judicial killings should be brought to an end and the people of Balochistan should not be terrorised.