KARACHI: Speakers at a seminar on Sunday demanded that the government and the establishment cha­n­ge their policies towards Baloc­his­tan and ensure safe return of all the missing persons from the province.

The seminar, ‘The Burning Issues of Balochistan and their Solution’, was organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) here at the Karachi Press Club.

Speaking on the occasion, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that his party would continue fighting the case of Balochistan in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad.

He added that the JI would try its level best to get some relief for the people of Balochistan.

Hafiz Naeem demands release of all missing persons; urges establishment to talk to ‘genuine leadership’ of province

“Respect the disgruntled people of Balochistan and they will become more patriotic than anyone in the country,” he said, adding that “By exerting power, none can resolve the issue or make them respect him. Give the people of Balochistan their due rights and within three months, they will be defending the borders,” he said.

“If you want to resolve the issues, you will have to talk to the genuine leadership of the province, not with the form-47 leadership,” he added.

Talking about the issue of missing persons, he demanded those at the helm of affairs to send back the missing persons. There was a constitution in the country and as per the constitution, everyone should be bestowed with the right to free trial, he said, adding that if someone had breached the law of the land, he should be produced in a court of law. However, the court should be a free court and not those called Kangaroo courts, he added.

The JI leader also said that the resources given to Balochistan also fell prey to corruption as the province was being ruled by the ‘Form-47 government’.

He added that there was “a tough competition of corruption in Baloc­histan and Sindh”.

Speaking on the occasion, Baloc­histan Union of Journalists’ Imtiaz Tariq said that the people in Baloch­istan have to take permission of the deputy commissioner before holding a seminar or press conference.

The government has attempted multiple times to close the Quetta Press Club in order to suppress the voice of people, he said, while highlighting problems being faced by journalists in Balochistan.

JI-Balochistan chief Maulana Hid­a­yatur Rehman negated all the propaganda about the people of Baloc­histan. He also highlighted the excessive use of force, inappropriate conduct and mishandling while dealing with people particularly during raids.

“The people of Balochistan had a particular high regard for their women. Arresting and manhandling of Baloch women is totally unacceptable,” he said, adding that even protesting Baloch women were arrested in Karachi and other parts of the country.

Zahid Akhtar Baloch said the province constituted 40 per cent of Pakistan, provides gas and minerals to the rest of the country, yet it is facing sheer injustice.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2025