KARACHI: Govt urged to create atmosphere for talks: Balochistan issue
By Latif Baloch
KARACHI, Feb 28: The National Party Chief, Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, has said since the government was the one to impose war on the Baloch people, it was, therefore, its responsibility only to stop it and create a congenial atmosphere for holding talks to find out a political solution to the Balochistan issue.
The NP leader condemned attempts being made by the government to malign the national struggle of the Baloch people and its leadership by unleashing a sinister propaganda campaign.
He dispelled the impression being created through the government-controlled media that “three sardars were creating trouble in the province”, saying the struggle of the Baloch people for their national rights, which included the right of self-governance, was not a new phenomenon.
He said the Baloch people had been denied their basic rights for the last 59 years. They had been subjected to military operations four times in the past, and they were resisting it yet again.
Talking to Dawn, he claimed that all nationalist and democratic parties of the province were united against the tyranny of the present government, and they were determined to resist the unjust policies of the rulers through political means by holding rallies and protest meetings.
The NP leader made it clear that the Baloch people could not comprise on their basic national rights including the right of self-rule and right to have control over their economic resources.
Simultaneously, he went on to say that talks could not be held at gunpoint because political issues cannot be resolved in an atmosphere of armed conflict.
The NP leader said it was not correct to say that the government wanted to develop Balochistan but that a few sardars were against it. He maintained that Baloch leaders had never objected to any development project aimed at improving the lot of the common man.
He said the Baloch leaders had expressed their serious concerns over some mega projects, which were being implemented to turn the Baloch populace in the areas of the projects into a minority.
The NP leader pointed that it was pertinent to note that the government had planned to build cantonments in the same areas where the mega projects were being launched.
He said the government could not mislead people by its sinister campaign, as they were fully aware of its intentions.
Asked about any possibility of a political settlement, he said that as long as the army was there, the military operation was on, and people were subjected to illegal detention and torture, no dialogue could be held.
He was of the view that since the war was imposed by the government, only it could initiate the process by ending the hostilities and pulling out troops from the troubled areas.
He also made it clear that talks could not be fruitful without recognizing the rights of the Baloch people to self-rule.
BNM: The chief of Baloch National Movement, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, condemned the government for maligning the Baloch leadership through its secret agencies, saying that it cannot achieve its nefarious designs.
In a statement, the BNM leader said the media trial being held by the government through its henchmen could not deceive the Baloch people, who were determined to resist the forces of exploitation and achieve their national objectives.
BRIT: The Baloch Rabita Ittefaq (Brit) has urged the government and the country’s political leaders to play their due role in solving the problem of Balochistan, which is getting complicated with the passage of time.
The chief of the Brit – Balochistan chapter – Prince Yahya Baloch, who is a scion of former ruler of Kalat State Union, categorically stated that the situation in the province was worst than ever and presently he could not see any solution in sight.
Prince Yahya recalled that during the 70s’ uprising when former Prime Minister Z A Bhutto realized that the situation was getting out of control, he sought the help of tribal elders of the province to solve the problems of Balochistan and initiated a dialogue with the Baloch leaders.
He suggested that it was responsibility of the government and the country’s political leaders to sit together and stop bloodshed in the province in the larger interest of the country.
