Lawmakers in the National Assembly on Wednesday expressed their concerns over the worsening law and order situation in Swat.
Moreover, the environment minister called for forming a “truth and reconciliation commission” to address the issue in Balochistan.
“The fire that is happening in Swat may even reach our foothills,” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned in his speech on a National Assembly session presided over by Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani.
“We cannot remain indifferent to what’s going on in Swat. Our lack of attention to this issue might threaten the unity of the country. The prime minister should take urgent notice of this,” he cautioned.
Asif further pointed out that what happened in Swat 12 years ago was repeating itself.
He added that the people of Swat, without any political differences, took to the streets against the rising militancy in their district.
“This is how it is in a democratic society. However, I do not hesitate to admit that our society is not democratic,” he conceded.
The minister stressed the need for all political parties of the country to sit together and find solutions to these problems.
He noted that all the provincial governments of the country should share the wishes, feelings and sorrows of the people of a province.
“If a provincial government cannot do that, I believe it has no right to rule,” he said.
The defence minister said an insurgency had been under way in Balochistan for many decades.
“The solution lies with [BNP-M chief] Akhtar Mengal and [Jamhoori Wattan Party president and federal minister] Shazain Bugti,” he added.
The minister noted that these two people had been representing Balochistan for their last three generations and it was about time to sit with them and find solutions to address the grievances of the province.
Lashing out at PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan, Asif maintained that a power struggle was going on in the country.
“That person [Imran] is blackmailing the State and holding it hostage,” he claimed.
He added the PTI chief continued to harm Pakistan.
“He [Imran] has merged his power with the existence of Pakistan and wants everything to be done through him if the army does not intervene,” he claimed.
He said that we are reaping the bitter fruit of decades of mistakes and it was because of those that the atmosphere of the country was unstable.
The minister called upon the lawmakers to mull the security problems faced by the country seriously.
He added that Mengal’s style of speech could be criticised, but his stance could not be disagreed with.
Referring to situation in Balochistan, Asif said this was a wound that needed to be bandaged and treated.
“The fraternity of politicians should find a solution to this. The battle for power can be fought later, but at this time our target should be the people,” he added.
BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal while addressing the NA shed light on the “fake” encounters in Balochistan.
He claimed that in several incidents in Balochistan, citizens were martyred and declared as terrorists.
He added that democratic and non-democratic governments kept coming but the situation in Balochistan did not change.
“This confirms our claim that the Balochistan government considers the province a colony of Pakistan,” he added.
He said among the three people killed by the anti-terrorism department in Kharan, there was a student, Waseem Tabish, whose only fault was that he had written poetry for the missing persons.
“Even writing and speaking has become a sin here. If they protest, people are picked up for it and forcibly disappeared,” he added.
He asked what do these forces want with the Baloch people.
“For God's sake, we should not be pushed to a point where there is no way back. With these tactics, you are only creating more terrorism. However, no nuclear power in the world will be able to finish the seeds of hatred that are being sown. If we are pushed to this point, don't expect us to come back,” he warned.
Mengal maintained that a genocide was under way in Balochistan, similar to the one committed in Bangladesh in 1970.
He demanded the formation of a high-level body, led by the Chief justice of Pakistan, to investigate into the ”fake” encounters in Balochistan.
Climate Change Minister, PPP leader Sherry Rehman, in her speech said there could be no talks with terrorists until they surrendered their weapons, referring to the militants in Swat.
She noted that Pakistan had sacrificed 80,000 lives in the fight against terrorism
“The PPP has also made great sacrifices for this purpose and we do not understand how to compromise with terrorists,” she added.
She said if a citizen of Pakistan spoke about their struggle while living in the constitutional limits by surrendering to the State, then they could definitely be talked to and it had happened in the past.
She added that for 20 years, the forces of 40 countries were present in Afghanistan, but failed to make any progress.
Sherry said we needed to talk openly about terrorism.
She added that the wave of terrorism had risen again in Swat.
“What is happening in Pakistan is not an insurgency. It is terrorism,” the minister observed.
Commenting on the issue of Balochistan, Sherry stressed the need for adopting a reconciliatory approach.
“In Balochistan, we must listen to the real leaders of the province but at the same time we have to start the process of reconciliation for which we have to face some harsh facts. We will have to listen too,” she added.
Sherry called for forming a “truth and reconciliation commission” to address the issue in Balochistan.
Later, the NA session was adjourned till Thursday (today).
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