ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: Leader of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) Talal Bugti on Monday demanded the government to get rid of Frontier Corps (FC).

“The fate of FC should be similar to that of ‘Federal Security Force’ created by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and was finished off by Gen Ziaul Haq,” he said adding the police should be responsible for controlling law and order in city areas.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, Talal Bugti said that instead of providing security in the border areas and controlling other illegal activities in Balochistan the FC was protecting the criminals.

“Besides being involved in smuggling of goods, vehicles and drugs,” Talal Bugti said, “they are carrying out extrajudicial killings of political workers in the province.”

He, however, said that the FC personnel were not doing all such activities alone rather they had the support of federal and provincial political leadership.

“The booty from the above-mentioned illicit business including the extortions is shared by the interior minister, Rehman Malik, and a percentage goes to the top,” he added without naming any person or authority but later said he was referring to the political leadership in the country which heads the ruling party too.

Responding to the queries by mediapersons about foreign involvement in the province, Mr Bugti bluntly responded that the security agencies should be made accountable for that.

“What are the ISI, MI and the FC doing there?” he said adding: “It is their job to check such activity not only in Balochistan but all over the country.”

The JWP leader said that people had been hearing such stories since long, but the government had failed to take action against those responsible for this security lapse.

To the astonishment of mediapersons, he alleged that the foreign intelligence agencies had penetrated into Pakistan military and its establishments.

“I feel that the Central Investigation Agency and other foreign agencies have strong roots in our military establishment.” JWP leaders said.

Talal Bugti, the son of Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was killed in a military operation during the previous regime, alleged that the incumbent government had failed to address the problems faced by the Balochistan people.

He demanded that the clandestine operation by the intelligence agencies in Balochistan should be ended to bring normalcy in the province.

Endorsing stance of Balochistan National Party leader Akhtar Mengal, he said that practical steps have to be taken for a genuine solution of missing persons.

Regarding political solution for Balochistan, Talal Bugti expressed confidence that he would be able to convince the self-exiled Baloch leaders to participate in next general elections.

“I will convince dissident Baloch leaders to come back to their homeland, but only after the authorities fulfill certain preconditions and show goodwill gestures,” he said.

He said that Jamhoori Watan Party would not participate in the next general elections until the government withdrew all military and paramilitary forces from Balochistan.

“Free and fair elections are impossible in the presence of intelligence agencies which interfere in the local affairs in the name of controlling law order.”

Mr Bugti said that his party was seeking to form a grand alliance with political figures from Punjab, referring to his efforts to form a political alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and other parties in Punjab.

He dispelled the impression that his party or any other political force in Balochistan were against any ethnic group. “It’s propaganda, I tell you, we have workers and office bearers who are Punjabis, Pashtoons or Mohajirs,” he said adding: “The same was being blamed when the National Awami party came to power in Balochistan in 1970s.”