THE president’s spokesman and some senators have now admitted that until the matter of the missing persons is settled, there will be no forward progress on Balochistan.

Taking part in a Senate debate, Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the disappearance of activists has caused unrest…. He urged that the recommendations of the first commission constituted regarding missing people should be made public and implemented, and suggested … cooperation with the UN working group on missing persons. Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik is adding fuel to the fire by alleging the Balochistan Liberation Army is an agent of imperialism and that the US and some other countries are involved in the matter.

The Baloch people cannot be won over through the use of force. It is strange that our rulers are unable to comprehend this. Maybe they don’t want to and that is why a person in power is uttering words which further complicate the situation. Pervez Musharraf also issued threats…. He killed the 79-year-old Nawab Akbar Bugti which pushed the Baloch to the point of no return. Senators admitted this on the floor of the house recently.

…Had Baloch anger been addressed properly, we would have had a different situation today.

Unfortunately, we have no traditions of recognising others’ rights. Resultantly, we lost one wing of the country…. The situation in Sindh too is not much better with hurt on the water or the financial issues. The most recent cut was that some 1.3 million voters are missing from the voters’ lists.…

We agree that the solution of the Balochistan situation lies in properly addressing the missing persons’ issue. The demands of enraged Baloch leaders should be given due consideration. If the state continues to use brute force, we will never win over the Baloch people. —(Aug 4)

Selected and translated by Sohail Sangi.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.