December 25, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 03, 1427

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QUETTA, Dec 24: The leader of the opposition in the Balochistan Assembly, Kachkol Ali, has accused the provincial government of twisting the issue of displaced families of Dera Bugti and Kohlu, who are living in miserable condition in Jaffarabad and Nasirabad due to the ongoing military operation, to mislead the international community.

Speaking at a press conference at the MPA hostel on Sunday, he lauded Dawn’s editorial comments and highlighting the issue pertaining to the food requirement of displaced families of Dera Bugti and Kohlu, adding that articulate reporting in the media diverted the attention of the United Nations towards nutrition problem.

“The spokesman for the Balochistan government attempted to mix atrocities of the army operation against the people of Dera Bugti and Kohlu with drought-affected families to misguide the United Nations, Mr Kachkol said, adding that shifting of families owing to oppression and due to natural calamity were two different problems.

The opposition leader asserted that on his suggestion the speaker of the Balochistan Assembly on the floor of house constituted a committee comprising treasury and opposition members to meet the displaced people in Jaffarabad and Nasirabad and submit the report to the house.

He said that during the visit to the area on April 21-22, the committee members collected information from the affected people related to their shifting from home districts and maintained that the official of the assembly secretariat prepared the report that was presented to the speaker.

Mr Kachkol claimed that about 100,000 thousand displaced people, including women and children, were living in the cold weather without tents and blankets besides they were facing serious food shortage and lack of medicine, as the government was least interested to resolve the nutrition necessity of the affected people.

He said that although Sattar Edhi on his request dispatched teams from Sukkur to visit the area and provided medicine and food to the affected people but Sattar Edhi was stopped to provide food and relief goods due to warning from the federal and provincial governments.

Mr Kachkol said that the United Nations intervention proved that the international community has recognised that Baloch people were facing state excesses, adding that Balochs did not fear death as they have set their minds either to achieve their rights or sacrifice their lives while protecting the motherland.

Balochs were confronted with the state terrorism as the international law did not allow any country to kill the prisoners of war but soldiers of the Pakistan army captured 12 Bugti tribesmen who were resisting the military operation were killed in the custody, he added.

He appealed to the international community to take notice of the serious conditions of the displaced families of Dera Bugti and Kohlu in Jaffarabad areas and provide them food, medicine, tents and blankets.

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