PESHAWAR, Jan 19: The provincial president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Pir Sabir Shah, has urged the federal government to withdraw troops from the troubled Sui area of Balochistan and sort out the matter through negotiations.
Mr Shah assured the president of the Jamhoori Watan Party, Nawab Mohammad Akbar Khan Bugti, full support of his party against measures taken by the federal government in his area.
He said was talking to Nawab Bugti on telephone here on Tuesday. Earlier, talking to journalists at the Peshawar Press Club, Pir Sabir Shah reminded the military rulers to learn lessons from the past and refrain from waging a war against their own people.
He elucidated that in 1971 Gen Yahya Khan and his friends had launched a military operation against their own people in the former East Pakistan and paved the way for Bangladesh.
He underlined the need for forging unity among political parties on national issues, including dispatching of forces to the Sui gas fields and Dera Bugti. He urged the government not to use threatening language against their own people.
The JWP deputy general secretary, Abdur Rauf Khan Sasoli, said the government was acting against the people of Sui, instead of bringing to book the culprits involved in the lady doctor's case.
He said the protesters had damaged a gas pipeline, but the Pakistan Petroleum Company (PPL) management disconnected the gas supply to the entire country to defame Baloch tribesmen.
He said if the hapless lady doctor was alive she could explain it all to the authorities but the rulers had diverted the attention of the nation from the rape incident to the disconnection of gas supply to the country.
He said the thankful of the parties in the NWFP assembly which had adopted a unanimous resolution in favour of Baloch people. He said negotiations were the only solution to the issue but the Baloch would not accept anything at the gunpoint.
Mr Sasoli said that the solidarity of the political forces with the Baloch people had strengthened the unity of Pakistan. He said he had thanked the Awami National Party leader, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, on behalf of Nawab Bugti for supporting the Baloch people in their protest against the federal government.
Mr Bilour said he had talked to Nawab Sahib and reassured ANP's support to him and his people.