ISLAMABAD, March 17: Members of the Senate on Friday severely criticised the continuing military operations in Balochistan and tribal areas and called for promoting dialogue and jirgas to resolve the problems and foil the designs of foreign forces aimed at destabilising the country.
The house suspended the question hour and started a debate on the situation in Waziristan and Balochistan on a motion moved by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s Maulana Gul Nasib Khan and Jamhoori Watan Party’s Shahid Hassan Bugti. The debate will continue on Monday.
Earlier, the issues of delays in the start of house proceedings, need to announce a panel of chairmen for the year and addressing the situation in Hangu were raised by Chaudhry Anwar Bhinder, Prof Khurshid and Abbas Kumaili through points of order.
Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro agreed that a fresh panel of chairmen ought to be announced and promised to look into the matter. He also said that proceedings should start on time.
Opening the debate, Maulana Nasib alleged that the situation in Waziristan and Balochistan had been created by foreign elements under a conspiracy to divide the country and occupy the wealth of the areas which, he said, could not be done because of the resistance of valiant and patriotic tribesmen.
He alleged that American planes were randomly bombing the tribal areas despite the presence of Pakistani troops in large number in Waziristan. He said religious leaders were constrained to lead funeral prayers for both tribesmen and soldiers. He said he had recently led funeral prayers of 11 Frontier Constabulary men who had lost their lives in Waziristan.
He criticised the labelling of tribesmen as ‘miscreants’ and said seminaries were being destroyed on that pretext. He warned that this could trigger a countrywide uproar as hundreds of thousands of religious students and teachers would react to it.
The maulana urged the government to resolve all issues relating to Balochistan and Waziristan in the spirit of understanding through tribal jirgas.
He called for setting up a special committee of the Senate to visit Waziristan and submit its report.
Shahid Bugti said that although the Balochistan issue had not reached a point of no return, there was urgent need for opening political dialogue to save the country from disaster.
Regarding the government’s contention that three or four sardars who were against development were creating trouble in Balochistan for their vested interests, Senator Bugti said had those tribal chiefs compromised, they would have received far more benefits than others. But they were suffering because they decided to struggle against dictatorship and for provincial rights.
He said Nawab Akbar Bugti had been forced to take refuge in mountains to continue his struggle for rights of his people.
He termed the formation of the Shujaat committee on Balochistan a good beginning but regretted that the initiative which had helped defuse the situation after incidents of March 2005 had been spoiled by starting a military action.
He said the launching of the operation after the attack on President Pervez Musharraf during his visit to Kohlu was tantamount to giving collective punishment to people for the act of a few.
Mohabat Khan Marri of the Pakistan Muslim League said four sardars were spoiling the fruits of mega projects initiated for the development of the province at a cost of Rs140 billion. He alleged that the sardars had received commission on every developmental project, including the RCD Highway. He accused them of keeping their opponents in illegal prisons and converting school buildings into guesthouses. He also accused them of killing people by planting anti-personnel mines.
Dr Abdul Malik of the National Party said that the Baloch were struggling against dictatorship and for a genuinely democratic federal system, for which they were being dubbed anti-state.
He demanded accountability of those who had doled out 150,000 acres of fertile land in Gwadar to a few people on nominal prices.
He called for convening a national jirga to resolve all issues, including those relating to the tribal areas and Balochistan.
Dr Tahir Mashadi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement said his party was against military action anywhere and it supported dialogue to save the country from disintegration.
He said people struggling for their rights should not be called anti-state because they were as patriotic as any other citizen.
Senator Mashadi said people in Dera Bugti were being forced to leave their area and more than 80 per cent of Balochistan’s population was deprived of clean drinking water.
Nisar Ahmed Memon of the PML said there were foreign elements operating in the tribal areas and local tribesmen should be persuaded to cooperate with the government.
He stressed the need for an effective ban on use of landmines.
He called for re-activation of the Shujaat committee to resolve the Balochistan issue amicably.
Senator Memon criticised US President George Bush for awarding India the task of strengthening democracy in Afghanistan and alleged that 21 information centres had been established across the war-torn country to help destabilising forces in Pakistan.
