Lawyers term Balochistan situation volatile

Asma Jahangir calls for immediate release of political prisoners.

QUETTA:

Balochistan is a tinderbox, and if immediate steps are not taken to control the lawlessness in the province, the fire will engulf the rest of the country, said president Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jahangir.

Terming hollow condemnations of the situation by political leaders as irrelevant, Jahangir said the government does not appear to be serious about resolving the Balochistan imbroglio. She was speaking at a seminar on ‘Critical Issues of Balochistan: Suggestions and Solutions’. She also addressed lawyers at the Balochistan bar room here on Wednesday.

The issue cannot be settled merely by the announcement of an ‘Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan’ package, she said.

“We demand from the government to send back paramilitary troops to their barracks, otherwise, the lawyers will start a protest campaign from Quetta involving major political parties and representatives of civil society,” said Jahangir.

Demanding immediate release of all political prisoners, she said the disposing of bullet-riddled and mutilated bodies in public squares must be stopped in Balochistan. She also demanded a closure of the notorious ‘safe houses’ that, she claimed, were run by security personnel.

Jahangir criticised the provincial government and administration for their failure to trace four kidnapped lawyers. “We, the lawyers, appreciate the efforts made for recovery of judges but express resentment at the non-recovery of lawyers,” she said.

Referring to the kidnapping of a businesswoman in Quetta on Tuesday, Jahangir said it was unfortunate that the incident took place when the entire world was celebrating the International Women’s Day.

Leaders of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) also addressed the gathering.

The government has been confronting an insurgency in Balochistan by militant Baloch nationalists calling for greater autonomy.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2011.