Predicting a doom-laden scenario for the federation of Pakistan if Baloch grievances are not addressed before the next general elections, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement called for a high-powered body like the Hamoodur Rehman Commission to offset any likelihood of the province’s secession.
“What if the Baloch, on the call of their nationalist and separatist leadership, boycotted the elections and the voter turnout remained a dismal five per cent,” asked Farooq Sattar, the MQM’s deputy convenor and a federal minister.
Sattar maintained that Balochistan has already seceded partially. “The flag of Pakistan is seen fluttering on only a few buildings in Balochistan, even the singing of the national anthem on important occasions is restricted to certain places,” he said. “The elections will just thrust them farther if we don’t take serious steps to win their hearts first.”
This, according to Sattar, will require complete autonomy for the province to be preceded by a framework which is acceptable to them before the elections. Sattar forcefully demanded handing over the right to collect the general sales tax, Karachi port, Gorakh hill and Thar coal projects to the Sindh government.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2012.
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@Maulana , so what si the point after all .To be or not to be that is the question ,In Balochistan , out Balochistan ......that is more pertinent .Howling isn't .
What's the latest count on Baloches killed by MQM? How convenient was it for "Rabita Committee" to collectively swallow it's tongue when it's then Pay Master Mush was rejoicing his commondo action of murdering Akbar Bugti!! MQM has every Ethnicity's blood (including Urdu speaking from Karachi) on it's hands and under no circumstances should it be forgotten.
Thanks God that people have started realizing the problem of Baluchistan after 64 years of independence.
The former East Pakistan was lost due to Punjabi domination in East Pakistan and people of Baluchistan do not want any Punjabi domination in Baluchistan.
This is one of the reasons that wherever Baluchistan people see a Punjabi, they kill him and send his dead body back to Punjab.
The question arises: How do we solve the Baluchistan problem without having Punjabi domination into it?