NEW DELHI: Startling revelations exposing the hollowness of British Administrative machinery in Baluchistan were made today [March 1] by Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, Deputy Leader of the Muslim League Party, on the floor of the House.

The occasion was when he moved the resolution recommending the Governor-General-in-Council to appoint immediately a committee, with a majority of elected members of the Central Legislature, to recommend as to what steps should be taken to associate constitutionally the people of Baluchistan with the administration of the province on similar lines as in other provinces of British India.

Qazi [Mohammad] Isa Khan, president of the Baluchistan Provincial Muslim League, and Mrs. Isa were present in the President’s gallery. Miss Fatima Jinnah and Mrs. Yousuf Haroon were also seated with the Baluchistan leaders.

Moving the resolution … the Nawabzada impressed the whole House when he told how people of that province are not treated as human beings. His statement that there were no courts and the cases were decided under the Frontier Crimes Regulation Act, was greeted with cries of “Shame, Shame” from Opposition Benches. The House was surprised to hear that sometimes death-sentences were passed by the Jirgas the members of which put only thumb-impressions on the judgements.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2019