Balochistan unrest: In a surprise outburst, Nisar hits out at security agencies

PkMAP chief calls for ‘reining in the establishment before it’s too late’.

ISLAMABAD:

Presenting a preliminary probe report on Saturday’s terror attacks in Balochistan, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan warned that in establishing peace in the province, the government would not care for anyone’s ‘displeasure’.

On Monday, the National Assembly saw Chaudhry Nisar and other senior lawmakers taking security agencies to task for the ‘dismal law and order situation’ in the country in general and Balochistan in particular.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government wants to seek advice from the house and the parliamentary heads on countering terror threats, particularly in Balochistan, Nisar told the lower house of Parliament.

A national security policy would be devised on June 20 in a meeting of the ‘civil armed forces’, he added. “The government will listen only to this house and no one else. I promise I will not conceal any fact from the house once the investigations are complete,” said Chaudhry Nisar in his briefing on the Balochistan incidents to the house.

All parliamentary leaders pledged their support to the government on improving law and order in the country.



Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, however, cautioned that clocks were ticking and the issue should be swiftly dealt with.

“Rein in the ‘establishment’ before it is too late. This house will be useless if it cannot control intelligence agencies,” said Achakzai while pointing to what he called Pakistan’s meddling in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

“I would prefer quitting this house if the establishment is not reined in within the next two years,” he added.

“Our intelligence agencies are otherwise capable of tracing a needle in a muddy puddle, then why is the security situation so deplorable in this country? Is this country to be disintegrated?” questioned the fiery PkMAP leader.

The entire world has become our enemy, our neighbours, including China, are unhappy with us, Achakzai went on to add. “It is time we drop the policy of good and bad Taliban. The US is not mad for using a multimillion dollar drone (technology) in our tribal areas,” he added.

For establishing durable peace, Achakzai suggested involvement of the US in initiating peace talks with the Taliban. However, he asked the US to suspend drone attacks for the period that dialogue does go on.

The interior minister in his briefing also questioned the conduct of the security agencies and their ability to arrest outlaws in Balochistan.

“If so many agencies, with so many resources, cannot handle the security situation what else can our government provide them?” asked Nisar. He said he would table all facts before the house and the people.

All parliamentary leaders pledged their support to the interior minister for restoring peace in the country and Balochistan in particular.

Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah also blamed security agencies for the worsening law and order situation in the province.

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed suggested a comprehensive counter-terrorism mechanism and said that the government looked serious in tackling the problem.

Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao called upon the government to come up with a national security policy as soon as possible.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) deputy parliamentary leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked for Chaudhry Nisar’s assurance that the government would fix responsibility for the Balochistan terrorist attacks.  He said his party would support the government on the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2013.