ISLAMABAD, June 15: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi on Friday supported the use of force in Balochistan for eliminating terrorism from the province. Speaking in response to a point of order raised by Liaquat Baloch of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) in the National Assembly, the minister said that both the federal and the provincial governments should think of a strategy to jointly combat terrorism in Balochistan.

Liaquat Baloch had drawn the attention of the National Assembly to the incident in which nine people, including seven army soldiers, were killed when some armed men who were being driven in a car sprayed bullets on them in Quetta on Thursday.

Mr Baloch opposed the government’s policy of using force to resolve the Balochistan issue asking it to find out some other solution.

The minister said some anti-social elements wanted to destabilise peace in the province by creating a law and order situation and to hamper Rs150 billion projects being carried out in the province.

He said in the past when they ignored East Pakistan the country suffered a tragedy.

He said the time had come that both the federal as well as the provincial governments should join hands in the fight against terrorism. He said that talks could only be held with politicians and not terrorists.

The minister also held the MMA responsible for the situation in Balochistan as it was a coalition partner in the provincial government. The minister condemned the recent terrorist attack in Quetta in which soldiers also lost their lives.

Abdul Qadir Khanzada of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Syed Khursheed Shah of the People’s Party Parliamentarians condemned the killings and urged the government to give exemplary punishment to the culprits.