QUETTA: Calling the anti-government campaign launched by the Pakistan Democratic Move­ment (PDM) nothing more than a melodrama and an attempt to deceive people, some members of the Balochistan Awami Party-led provincial government have severely criticised the opposition parties which are part of the new alliance.

Provincial Finance Minister Mir Zahoor Buledi, Minister for Revenue Mir Salim Ahmed Khosa, MPA Mobeen Khilji and Bilal Kakar, addressing a jointly press conference here on Monday, said that the nation knew the reality of all those opposition leaders who had gathered at the platform of PDM against a democratically elected government.

They claimed that the agenda of this new alliance of the opposition parties was just to destabilise the government and create hurdles in its work. These opposition leaders did nothing when they were in power, they said, adding that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had ruled the country for a long time, but failed to improve the quality of life in the country.

Mr Buledi said that it would be difficult for PDM leaders to deceive the people of Balochistan because they knew the reality of their parties. These opposition leaders had never worked for rights of people when they were in power, he added.

He criticised the leadership of the PDM, accusing it of trying to create hurdles in the progress and development in Balochistan.

Mr Buledi said that maintaining law and order had long been a problem in Balochistan, but when these opposition leaders were in power they did not take serious steps for bringing improvement in the province’s security situation. Now, he added, when the law and order was showing some signs of improvement, they were trying to create anarchy.

He rejected the stance of the PDM leaders that they were working for promotion of democracy. These opposition leaders had gathered at the PDM’s platform because they were frightened by successes of the present government, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2020