QUETTA: The newly elected president of the National Party, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, has said that the country needs major changes in economic, foreign and educational policies to tackle the ongoing political and economic crises.

Speaking at the first central committee meeting of the party, he said that the country’s leadership has not learnt lessons from their past mistakes which forced them to repeat similar errors, causing the downward spiral the nation finds itself in.

Former president of the party, Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, newly elected Secretary General Mir Jan Muhammad Buledi and other office bearers were also present in the meeting. The central committee took important decisions for reorganising the party.

Dr Baloch, who is also a former chief minister of Balochistan, while referring to the prevailing situation in the country said that the country was facing an anarchy-like situation, which was worsening with the government’s flawed policies.

“The country is facing economic crisis, chaos, extremism and intolerance due to the government adopting negative and anti-people policies,” he said, adding that the entire country was in the grip of terrorism and extremism but the leadership was not changing their policies.

Dr Baloch alleged that Islamabad was trying to rollback the 18th Amendment and wanted to deprive the provinces from their legitimate and constitutional rights. He warned that any such attempt would be resisted.

He said the National Party believed in the supremacy of democracy — and democratic institutions — and would continue its struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution. “Making Pakistan a welfare state is our desire and we will continue to work for that goal,” Dr Malik said.

He said the successful national congress of the party upset some quarters and they had launched a propaganda campaign against the party and its leadership. They were trying to find out “Baynami” property to initiate an investigation against Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo and him. “We are ready to go to jail but we will not bow down or compromise on the party’s agenda, which is to fight for the rights of the people of Balochistan,” he announced.

While referring to party affairs, Dr Baloch said that there was a need to prepare integrated policies to reorganise the party. He urged party workers to maintain discipline and cooperate with each other.

“Only a strong and organised party could work for the welfare of the people,” Dr Malik added.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2018