QUETTA: Balochistan National Party-Mengal President Sardar Akhtar Mengal has said that he and other tribal elders are ready to play the role of mediators to find out a solution to the on-going conflict in Balochistan if the government and Baloch insurgents agree on a ceasefire.

“I and other tribal elders are ready to play our role to resolve the conflict Balochistan is facing if the government and Baloch insurgents announce a ceasefire,” Sardar Mengal said.

Speaking at a press conference along with JUI-F Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri on Tuesday, he said that tribal feud between Satakzai and Kurd tribes had been resolved according to tribal traditions and customs.

“Tribal disputes should be resolved and settled through tribal traditions and customs and mutual understanding,” the two leaders said.

Satakzai and Kurd tribes had been involved in the tribal dispute for the past five years and scores of people from the two sides had lost their lives during the period.

Sardar Mengal and Maulana Haideri lauded the will of leaders of the two tribes to resolve their feud through negotiations and in accordance with tribal traditions.

Sardar Mengal said that the dispute between Satakzai and Kurd tribes had begun in 2011 and claimed 21 lives from both sides besides seriously injuring 12 people of the two tribes. The dispute also caused massive financial losses to the two tribes.

The BNP leader said that tribal chieftains of the two tribes had approached him to get the dispute resolved between their two tribes.

“I accepted their request and mediators invited more than 100 affected people from the two sides. We presented a solution to resolve the matter which both the tribes accepted.”

He also expressed gratitude to the two tribes for reposing confidence in him for the resolution of their dispute.

In reply to a question, he said that if the government and Baloch militants announce a cease fire, he and others could think of playing a role of arbitrators between the two sides.

Deputy Chairman of Senate and JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haider said that tribal disputes had inflicted huge losses on both tribes and by the grace of Allah almighty the two tribes had agreed to end their fighting as hostilities were not a solution to any problem.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2016