Govt should bring Baloch leaders into mainstream politics: JI chief

Munawar Hassan says government should stop accusing Baloch leaders of being back by foreign countries.

QUETTA: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hassan, expressing his support for self-exiled and estranged Baloch leaders, said that the government should bring the Baloch leadership into mainstream politics and include them in decision making rather than accusing them of being backed by foreign countries.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, the JI chief said it was not the duty of a government to inform the people that India is their enemy and is destabilising the country from Afghanistan.

“India or United States was given the opportunity by the rulers to intervene in the matters. The rulers say India is behind the deteriorating law and order situation of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, but they did not disclose how they had provided foreigners opportunity to exploit the situation,” he said, adding that the sense of deprivation is deepening in Balochistan with each passing day while those in parliament are making hollow promises.

“The Baloch people are being deceived and betrayed in the name of packages and hollow promises. The province is rich in terms of natural resources but its resources are being distributed in other provinces,” he said.

He added that the provincial government proved to be a huge obstacle for resolving the issues as it failed to increase the pressure on the federal government. “PML-N [Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz] and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) are making fun of the Baloch people by showing their sympathies with the suffering people even as they too are part of the Balochistan government and are responsible for looting and plundering the province. They are equally responsible for the recovery of mutilated bodies, targeted killings and increasing incidents of kidnapping for ransom,” he accused.

He questioned what the people can expect from a government which is already blamed for kidnappings. “Home Minister Zafar Zehri has on record stated that three ministers are involved in kidnappings. Everything in Balochistan appears to be a fraud," he said before urging the people of the estranged province to protest against the government.

“It is beyond my understanding that why people are letting the corrupt politicians to rule in the province. There would be no change until and unless they come out on the roads.”

Responding to a question on what the government can do to normalise the situation in Balochistan, he said that there is a need to end the sense of deprivation prevailing among the people by giving them their due rights, and share in the resources of the province. “The law and order situation would improve by taking such initiatives, but again I would say that to pin our hopes with this government is useless.”

With the Chief Justice of Pakistan recently holding court in the provincial capital, Quetta, Hassan said that the judiciary has to take a bold decision and ensure the implementation of its verdict if it wanted to retain its importance.

“For how long will the judiciary not take any decision? We have been hearing that they will handcuff the prime minister if the verdict is not implemented but the very next day there is no such development.”

The JI chief said that his party does not consider the electoral list transparent since 1.5 million voters of Karachi are registered in their ancestral towns while 0.9 million voters are registered in constituencies other than their own.

“There would not be transparent elections until Election Commission is empowered and a trusted caretaker government is formed taking the people into confidence,” he added.