KARACHI, Feb 12: In view of the rapidly deteriorating situation and unrest in the country, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has decided to convene a national conference on Feb 25 to deliberate upon the question of provincial autonomy and the situation in Balochistan.

This was stated by deputy convener of the MQM coordination committee, Dr Farooq Sattar, who is also the parliamentary leader of the party in the National Assembly, at a news conference at the Khurshid Memorial Hall here on Sunday. Mr Anwar Alam and other members of the coordination committee were also present.

Leaders of political and religious parties, besides human rights activists, intellectuals, journalists and representatives of NGOs, trade and industry, have been invited to attend the conference, he said.

Dr Farooq Sattar said that the MQM believed in politics of persuasion to achieve the objectives of peace and welfare of masses, adding that the conference was convened with the same spirit.

Referring to the unrest in smaller provinces, he expressed the view that it was due to the sense of deprivation and denial of rights. The situation had never been as bad as it prevailed now, he remarked. Pakistan would not have disintegrated had the basic rights of the people of former East Pakistan been recognized, the right to rule over the country in 1971 was given to them and the use of force to crush them was not resorted to.

He regretted that the country had not learnt a lesson form the 1971 debacle as the smaller provinces were again being deprived of their rights, causing acrimony and mistrust. Aspirations of Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP people were not given consideration; instead, force was being used to crush them, he added.

The MQM leader recalled that a military operation had been carried out in Balochistan in 1973, in the interior of Sindh in 1983 and in the urban areas of Sindh in 1992.

He observed that the people of smaller provinces were agitated over denial of their right to rule over their own province and have control over its resources. The denial of their right had now aggravated the situation to the extent that Balochistan was boiling and groups like Baloch Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front had become active.

Dr Farooq Sattar said MQM believed that the only solution to the Balochistan problem and the mounting unrest in Sindh and the NWFP was granting of complete autonomy to provinces. The country and the federation could survive and become stronger only when all provinces were granted full autonomy, he added.

He pointed out that in spite of being a part of the coalition, the MQM had been opposing the military operation in Balochistan and taken a principled stand viz-a-viz the issues of Balochistan, Kalabagh Dam and NFC Award. The party had even threatened to quit the government over these issues.

He said that provincial autonomy was the ‘number-one issue’ of the country and, as such, should be placed on top priority.