QUETTA, April 7: The only opposition leader in the Balochistan Assembly, Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, has warned that the country’s integrity will be at stake if the federal government denies provincial autonomy to the provinces.

Speaking at a press conference after taking oath here on Monday, the PML-Q leader said the issue of provincial autonomy was more important than seeking funds for Balochistan. He said that the release of political leaders and workers and production of missing people was another important issue.

“The new provincial government should order the release of Sardar Akhtar Mengal and political workers,” he said, adding that all ‘fake cases’ registered against them should be withdrawn immediately.

Mr Rind, who was a federal minister in the last government, said the Centre had given no importance to the issues of the province in the past. He expressed the hope that the new coalition government would change the attitude of Islamabad and solve Balochistan’s problems.

“I will support positive steps of the provincial government despite sitting in the opposition. But if resources of the province are not spent on development and welfare of the people, I will raise my voice against it in and outside the assembly.”

He said that although he was the only opposition member in the assembly, with the passage of time more MPAs would join opposition benches.

In reply to a question, he said the election was a process of accountability and the people of Balochistan had reposed confidence in the PML-Q and it won over 20 seats in the Feb 18 elections. But, he added, the elected MPAs failed to come up to the expectations of the people and joined other parties.

He accused the Pakistan People’s Party of not honouring the mandate given by the people to PML-Q in Balochistan. “The PPP has repeated the same mistake the PML-Q did in 2002 when the PPP’s Patriot group was formed in the national assembly.”

He said that Balochistan had its own traditions which had always been upheld by the assembly and people of the province, but today these had been broken by PPP workers when they chanted inappropriate slogans.

He condemned the manhandling of former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim.

Mr Rind criticised the Federal Board of Revenue for sacking 14 customs inspectors from Balochistan who were appointed by former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.