August 02, 2006	Wednesday	Rajab 6, 1427

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QUETTA, Aug 1: Balochistan National Party information secretary Senator Sanaullah Baloch has rejected an impression that Baloch nationalists are involved in anti-state activities, saying: “We are not anti-state but we are opposing the government’s wrong policies”.

Talking to Dawn from London on Tuesday, he said the allegations were part of the government’s propaganda against nationalist parties.

He said the struggle launched by the Baloch people was patriotic and people of the province were suffering because of unwise and unfair decisions of Islamabad. “We are struggling for establishing a workable federation that should be based on justice, equality and fairness,” he said.

“We have serious reservations over the working and strategy of the federal government towards Balochistan,” he said.

He said that as political and elected representatives of Balochistan, he and his party raised voice in parliament and also supported initiatives of the government taken for resolving the issues related to the province.

“We are democratic people and we believe in dialogue but it should be meaningful and constitutional guarantees should be given to us,” Senator Baloch said.

However, he said, some elements in the Balochistan government were sabotaging the process.

He said Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Nawab Akbar Bugti and other Baloch and Pukhtun nationalist leaders were part of the political struggle.

“My family is being victimised because I am a vocal member of parliament and I have never compromised on the just democratic and political demands of the people of Balochistan,” he said.

He said flexible and political steps should be taken to resolve the issues of Balochistan.

“If the government can agree on a truce with pro-Taliban elements in Waziristan, then why not in Balochistan,” he asked.

He warned that if the situation remained unchanged the possibility of civil war could not be ruled out in Balochistan.

He said ministers and elected representatives should be careful while issuing statements regarding the Balochistan situation as baseless allegations would not help solve the problems.