ISLAMABAD, June 14: Senator Sanaullah Baloch said on Tuesday that Balochis had the legitimate right to act in self-defence and to fight and attack the Frontier Constabulary (FC) in the province. The fire-brand BNP (M) senator was speaking on the admissibility of an adjournment motion moved by senators Professor Khursheed Ahmed and Dr Ismail Buledi for a debate “on the abuse of power and the atrocious behaviour of the FC Balochistan generally and in Makran and Nag Zamuran Buleda in particular,” where, the movers said, the attitude of the FC had assumed “menacing proportions”.

Senator Baloch said as long as 37,000 “alien FC forces” remained in Balochistan the Balochis would continue to exercise their right to self defence as the Palestinians were fighting the Israelis or the Kashmiris were fighting the Indian forces.

Speaking on the motion’s admissibility, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s Senator Professor Khursheed Ahmed, said reports of torture, extortion, corruption and other alleged atrocities by the FC were a matter of concern. He said the FC checkposts should be abolished.

Opposing the motion, the state interior minister, Dr Shahzad Waseem, said the FC was performing its duties of checking the smuggling of goods and drugs, assisting in maintenance of law and order and carrying out relief operations.

Dr Waseem said the senators moved the motion to discuss the arrest of 14 persons by the FC in Nag Zamuran Buleda, but they did not mention that an FC convoy was attacked and that five soldiers lost their lives in that attack.

The state minister said that all the 14 persons had been released since then.

Presiding officer of the Senate, Dr Khalid Ranjha, dismissed the motion as out of order on technical grounds after the minister opposed its admissibility.