QUETTA, July 12: Jamhoori Watan Party president Nawabzada Talal Akbar Bugti has alleged that Gen Pervez Musharraf was responsible for the bloodshed in Lal Mosque and Jamia Hafsa and said that hawks in the army sabotaged the efforts of ruling PML leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Ulema of the Wifaqul Madaris to resolve the issue through negotiations.

Speaking at a press conference at the Bugti House here on Thursday, he said that his father Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and PML leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain Sayed had reached an agreement in Dera Bugti and Sui to resolve all issues peacefully, but the military ruler sabotaged the accord by launching a military operation.

He said political and religious issues could not be settled through force, adding that the unwise actions of Gen Musharraf caused hundreds of lives in Dera Bugti, Kohlu and Lal Mosque putting the integrity of the state at jeopardy.

Nawabzada Talal claimed that the government launched the Lal Mosque operation to minimise the impact of the judicial crisis and the opposition’s conference in London, but failed to achieve the desired results.

He held Gen Musharraf responsible for the killings in Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Karachi (May 12) and Lal Mosque, should resign and civilian rule was restored.

The JWP leader condemned, what he termed government’s double standards, and said that while Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi was killed for being wanted in terrorist cases, a person wanted in 72 cases, including murder and terrorism, was appointed as governor of Sindh.

He also said that Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Altaf Hussain who was wanted in many murder and terrorism cases should be arrested through Interpol to face the charges in the court of law.

Criticising the government for its failure in helping flood-affected people, he said the government should provide relief from the Rs600 billion gas royalty dues the federal government was to pay to Balochistan.