QUETTA, May 6: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal vice-president Liaquat Baloch has said that the Balochistan issue is a result of differences between the federation and the province on resources and the federal government is misleading people by dubbing it as a problem of three sardars.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club on Saturday, he said all democratic political groups should join hands to rid the nation of dictatorship.

He said President Pervez Musharraf’s rigid attitude had complicated the Balochistan issue as the government’s excesses had annoyed people in the province.

The MMA leader said the issue should be resolved politically instead of by force.

He also criticised the government’s policy on the Waziristan issue, saying that without the support of people no mega project, whether in Balochistan or in the tribal areas, would benefit the masses.

He asked the government to respect the aspirations of people on issues that confronted the nation.

He maintained that the government was endangering the integrity of the country by attempting to isolate the genuine political groups which enjoyed the support of people.

He said two schools of thought were active in the Balochistan politics — one struggling for provincial autonomy and the other for freedom – but looting of resources and deprivation had pushed people towards extremism.

He said the charter of democracy agreed to by the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and the People’s Party Parliamentarians would have no impact as a united struggle of political parties against President Musharraf was the need of the hour.

He said all problems faced by people were the product of wrong policies of the army ruler.

Mr Baloch stressed that the gas pipeline project between Pakistan and Iran was a national project and the government should go ahead with it without succumbing to the pressure of the United States.

He, however, asked the government to remove the reservations of Balochistan’s political parties on the project.

He said the MMA leadership had decided to mobilise people by holding rallies in support of the Iranians who were facing American government’s threats. He said Pakistanis would support their brethren in case of any aggression.

He said he had met Balochistan National Party (Mengal) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Jamhoori Watan Party information secretary Amanullah Kanrani, who had informed him about the latest situation in the province.