April 16, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1429

KARACHI, April 15: The National Workers Party’s central leader, Yusuf Mastikhan, has stressed the need for resolving the Balochistan and Wana issues where the situation, according to him, has changed for the work.

He described both issues as serious and vital to the country’s future, saying that time had come for the rulers to take concrete steps towards resolving them. He also welcomed the resolution of the Balochistan Assembly and called for its immediate implementation. But at the same time, he called for immediate halt to the military operation in the troubled province, release of all political leaders, including Akhtar Mengal, and missing persons.

Yusuf Mastikhan expressed these views while addressing a “Meet-the-Press” programme of Karachi Press Club here on Monday.

Referring to various threats being faced by the country, he said the World Bank had warned against looming crises of wheat, flour and sugar in Pakistan, which would push the country into a famine-like situation, triggering food riots. He said staple food production across the world, including Pakistan, had come down as in Europe and the US, maize cultivation that had been given the status of bio-fuel, was being preferred over wheat. The corporate agriculture concept had pushed small agriculturalists to shift to urban centres in search of jobs. As a result, he added, agricultural production had drastically come down in 37 countries.

In reply to queries, Mr Mastikhan said there had been no democratic government since the country’s inception except for two – the one formed after the debacle of East Pakistan and the other recently elected after an indefatigable struggle of journalists, lawyers, judges and civil society.

However, he regretted that the present governments in Islamabad and Balochistan had only made certain ‘announcements’, while the army was still busy in action in Wana, tribal areas and Balochistan. He said the federal and provincial governments ought to take concrete steps to halt the operation rather than decide on ministries and take interest in posting of officials.

He recalled that Akhtar Mengal was still in detention and the whereabouts of Dr Sarki were not known, while displaced persons from Balochistan continued to face hardships in Jumma Goth.

The NWP leader described Nawab Raisani’s speech as very encouraging, but said it was devoid of practical steps for withdrawal of the army, bringing a halt to the establishment of cantonments, recovering missing persons and rehabilitation of displaced persons from Balochistan.

He called for investigating the murders of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and Balaach Marri and the May 12 mayhem by the UN.

In reply to a question, he said the Gwadar Port Authority should be replaced with a Gwadar Prot Trust with a board of directors comprising local representatives.