QUETTA: Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq has urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take the Baloch leadership into confidence to resolve contentious issues of Balochistan through dialogue.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr Haq said there was a need to end the sense of deprivation prevailing in the province. The province is rich in natural resources but a large number of people are deprived of basic facilities. The government needed to understand the gravity of the situation and solve the problems of the province, he added.

Also read: Siraj urges rulers to win hearts and minds of Baloch

Mr Haq said his party was against change of government through violence. However, he clarified that launching protest movements against the government was right of opposition parties.

The JI chief criticised the United States and said due to its policies 13 Muslim countries were in the grip of terrorism. He held Washington responsible for bloodshed in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Middle East countries.

He said the US wanted to take control of Muslim countries’ resources by exploiting their internal differences.

He said bombardment by US forces had killed thousands of innocent people in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn February 2nd , 2015

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