Sounding the alarm bells: Balochistan has reached a point of no return: JI
Liaquat censures both the govt as well as the military establishment.
QUETTA:
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General Liaquat Baloch sounded the alarm bells on Sunday when he asserted that the ‘Balochistan situation has reached a point of no return.’
“The blame for the current imbroglio lies on the shoulders of the political leadership as well as the military establishment,” said Baloch, while addressing a news conference at the Quetta Press Club on Sunday.
The JI leader reached Quetta in order to attend the all parties’ conference (APC) convened by Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) on Monday.
“We believe that the incumbent government has no real solution to address the issue, other than making only hollow pronouncements,” remarked Baloch, in a dig at the federal government’s perceived apathy towards the problem.
However, Baloch did not let the military establishment be spared from his diatribe either.
“Enforced disappearances and incessant discoveries of mutilated bodies of Balochs have added fuel to the fire. If this is not stopped now, consequences can be dangerous for the whole country,” reflected Baloch. Even women are now becoming targets of enforced disappearances which is a matter of great concern, added the JI leader.
Years of neglect
“Balochistan has been neglected since the inception of the country and now a real trust deficit exists between the province’s populace and the rulers in Islamabad,” pointed out Baloch. According to Baloch, this was the discriminatory attitude that has led to ‘foreign elements’ exploiting the province’s situation.
“The region has strategic importance and foreign forces will definitely try to mark their presence here,” said Baloch, adding that the prospect further demanded urgent dialogue with the Baloch leaders.
Responding to another query, the JI leader said that all the stakeholders should be taken on board in order to resolve the issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2012.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General Liaquat Baloch sounded the alarm bells on Sunday when he asserted that the ‘Balochistan situation has reached a point of no return.’
“The blame for the current imbroglio lies on the shoulders of the political leadership as well as the military establishment,” said Baloch, while addressing a news conference at the Quetta Press Club on Sunday.
The JI leader reached Quetta in order to attend the all parties’ conference (APC) convened by Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) on Monday.
“We believe that the incumbent government has no real solution to address the issue, other than making only hollow pronouncements,” remarked Baloch, in a dig at the federal government’s perceived apathy towards the problem.
However, Baloch did not let the military establishment be spared from his diatribe either.
“Enforced disappearances and incessant discoveries of mutilated bodies of Balochs have added fuel to the fire. If this is not stopped now, consequences can be dangerous for the whole country,” reflected Baloch. Even women are now becoming targets of enforced disappearances which is a matter of great concern, added the JI leader.
Years of neglect
“Balochistan has been neglected since the inception of the country and now a real trust deficit exists between the province’s populace and the rulers in Islamabad,” pointed out Baloch. According to Baloch, this was the discriminatory attitude that has led to ‘foreign elements’ exploiting the province’s situation.
“The region has strategic importance and foreign forces will definitely try to mark their presence here,” said Baloch, adding that the prospect further demanded urgent dialogue with the Baloch leaders.
Responding to another query, the JI leader said that all the stakeholders should be taken on board in order to resolve the issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2012.