ISLAMABAD, April 16: Former prime minister and chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party Benazir Bhutto has expressed grave concern over the continuing military operation in Balochistan and called for an end to the operation and settlement of political disputes through dialogue.

A press statement issued by the party’s media centre said that the PPP chairperson had been receiving reports from the party’s provincial organisation that life had become miserable in Balochistan for people in areas where the military operation was under way.

It said she had received the latest complaint from leaders of Sarawan and Jhalwan tribes, alleging large-scale military operations in their respective areas. They complained of brutal military operation in Mastung, Bolan, Kalat and Awaran districts where men, women and even children were targeted with tanks and gunship helicopters.

According to the PPP statement, the former prime minister warned against cornering people of Balochistan against the wall as the most potent threat to the federation.

“History has taught us that political issues could be resolved only through political means of dialogue and consultation and not through the barrel of the gun. History has taught us the fragility of solutions imposed through brute might,” she said and warned the rulers to learn lessons from the 1971 crisis that culminated in disastrous consequences for the federation

She said that the use of brute force would alienate the people from the federation and lead to “extremism that must be avoided at all costs”.

Ms Bhutto said that there were also complaints of large-scale ‘disappearances’ of political activists in the province that were substantiated by documentation of human rights bodies. She said that people who had ‘disappeared’ in the province had nothing to do with the war against terrorism, indicating that besides the regime was resorting to ‘disappearances’ in addition to the use of force, which was against international and domestic law.