June 15, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1428

QUETTA, June 14: Opposition members in the Balochistan Assembly met US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher on Thursday and told him that holding transparent polls and transfer of power to elected representatives could only ensure constitutional and political stability in the country.

The opposition members who met Mr Boucher included Kachkol Ali Baloch, Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal, Shafique Ahmed Khan and Sardar Azam Musakhel.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr Kachkol said they had conveyed to the assistant secretary that people expected the US to end its policy of claiming to be the champion of democracy around the world and backing the dictatorship in Pakistan at the same time.

He said elections under the military rule would not be fair and impartial, therefore, for the supremacy of the constitution an independent election commission should be constituted to ensure transparent polls.

Mr Kachkol said that the military operation in Balochistan, killing of hundreds of the Baloch, including Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, enforced disappearances and arrest of political activists and a colonial treatment being meted to Balochistan by the centre were the issues confronted by the people of the province.

The opposition leader said the Balochistan Assembly had adopted resolutions against the setting up of cantonments in Gwadar, Dera Bugti and Kohlu and demanded handing over of the administrative control of the Gwadar port to the provincial government and royalty on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.

The opposition leader asserted that the 1973 Constitution was never implemented in letter and in spirit to protect the fundamental, democratic and political rights and recognise the financial rights of the oppressed provinces.

He said that denial of autonomy to Balochistan and other provinces to control their resources, non-representation of Baloch people in federal services and using of the state apparatus against people had caused a sense of deprivation and unrest among the people of the province.