July 27, 2008	Sunday	Rajab 23, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 26: Vice-president of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Mir Baz Mohammad Khan Khetran on Saturday said the forces which wanted to destabilise democratic process in the country are still active in Balochistan province and trying to disrupt the reconciliation process launched by party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Khetran demanded of the authorities concerned to pull out those officials of Frontier Constabulary (FC) and security agencies personnel who had been performing duties in the Balochistan province for the past many years and appoint new persons preferably from the same province.

Moreover, the PPP leader suggested that the heads of the FC, paramilitary forces and other security agencies operating in Balochistan should be taken from the police department on the pattern of the NWFP.

Presently, he said, the heads of law enforcement agencies deputed in the province were from army.

Mr Khetran said the genocide of the Baloch people was still continuing and the forces which wanted to derail the democratic process in the country as well as in the province were still covertly carrying out their activities. Without identifying, he said, these forces were trying to sabotage the ongoing process of the reconciliation initiated by Mr Zardari after the Feb 18 elections.

The PPP leader was of the view that the country was facing worst-ever economic and political crises.

He, however, expressed the hope that the PPP had the capability of bringing the country out of the present complex situation as it did after the 1971 tragedy and in 1988 when Pakistan was suffering due to 11-year martial law of Gen Zia.

Mr Khetran admitted that the PPP government was facing a tough challenge due to the alleged wrongdoings of the previous Shaukat Aziz regime, but advised the people to give some time to the PPP leadership so that they could bring Pakistan out of present quagmire.

Replying to a question, the PPP office-bearer denied that there was any grouping within the party ranks. He said if any senior party member had any grievances, he or she should bring it to the notice of the party leadership.

He said that those party workers and senior members who had struggled for 12 long years to bring the PPP back into power should show patience and give some more time to the party leadership to resolve the contentious issues.

He asked them to assist Mr Zardari in his efforts for advancing reconciliation process in the country. He said that every military dictator in his efforts to damage the PPP had actually caused harm to the country.