May 2, 2006	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1427

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HYDERABAD, May 1: Former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali has emphasised the need for a dialogue-based solution to the Balochistan crisis as use of force will not be helpful in solving the issue.

He was speaking to journalists at the residence of MPA Dr Irfan Gul Magsi here on Sunday.

Tando Allahyar District Nazim Dr Raheela Magsi was also present on the occasion.

Mr Jamali also attended a jirga in Matiari district to solve a dispute between two groups that had led to killing of some people.

The controversy was resoled amicably as both sides pardoned their murderers in his presence.

He said that the jirga system was most inexpensive and speedy method of dispensing justice to people.

He claimed there was no ban on holding of jirga system and it could not be done away with because it was a convention where true heirs of deceased get justice without fear or favour.

“I do not rule out involvement of Afghanistan and India in Balochistan because latter’s consulates are actively working in Afghanistan”, he said.

Mr Jamali said that it was in spite of fact that Pakistan had facilitated Afghanistan in so many ways.

He said that friendships with India could be established in a dignified manner.

He referred to statement of Jawaharlal Nehru who had claimed that Pakistan would cease to exist after 15 years.

“I remember every word of his statement”, he said.

He said that Pakistan was an Islamic and sovereign state and well placed in the region strategically.

He said that there were some positive aspects to Pakistan’s position in the region while some negative ones were also there.

“What is going on in Balochistan really hurts me as we are makers of the country. I informed everyone including the president and the prime minister about the prevailing situation in the province. We are doing whatever possible to defuse the situation but you can not resolve issues forcibly”, he said.

“If you keep thrusting your will over a person he will certainly deviate from it”, he said.

As far as payment of money to sardars by some oil and gas companies is concerned, he said, that such agreements between the companies and sardars could be made public.

He said that under the 17th Constitutional Amendment, the president could hold both offices and if anyone had objection then the alteration could be amended only with a two-third majority.

He said that no one had presented uniform to the president but he had earned it through his hard work right from the military academy to the present post.

He considered London meeting of two former prime minister as a part of politics, saying that once they were hurling accusations at each other and now they were holding meetings.

He said that contesting candidates always used their full might and resources in winning elections in their respective constituencies.

He said that the caretaker government was also a requirement under constitution which could be installed before holding general elections.

He said that politicians should try to strengthen institutions and give preference to Pakistan and consider question of power secondary.

In reply to Gen (retd) Mirza Aslam Baig’s statement, he denied that he had singed any summary declaring a certain area around the Gwadar port to be a federal territory.

He said that he considered Gwadar a property of “Gwadarians” which belongs to Balochistan and Pakistan. “I would not have signed any such summary had it been submitted to me.”