JI chief urges government to make serious efforts for Balochistan

Munawar Hasan says tyranny of the government has cause deep hatred among the Baloch people.

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chief Syed Munawar Hasan has impressed upon the federal government to make serious efforts to tide over the law and order situation in Balochistan – the largest and the richest province of the country. 

In a statement issued on Friday, Hasan said that the tyranny and injustice of the federal government had caused deep hatred among the Baloch people, and a situation resembling a revolt is festering there. “This has provided the United Nations an excuse to interfere and send a so-called delegation to ascertain the situation,” the statement maintained.

Hasan claimed that Baloch nationalists have given the government another chance to reconcile by expressing full confidence in the Supreme Court, and the government should avail this opportunity in the best possible manner. The JI chief, though was critical of a judicial commission probing the matter of missing persons, adding that incidents of kidnapping for ransom have become a profitable business in Balochistan.

Commending the Supreme Court on its stand, he expressed hope that the apex court would take the matter to its logical end.

The party chief urged that serious efforts should be made to trace the missing persons and troops should be called back to the barracks to restore normalcy. As long as declared and undeclared military operations were not stopped, Hasan said, the confidence of the people of Balochsitan could not be won.

He added the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti was a plot against national solidarity, and as long as all those involved, including former dictator Pervez Musharraf, were not arrested, the Baloch people could not be placated.

The JI chief stressed that the right of Balochistan over the resources of the province must be accepted and gas royalties amounting to Rs600 billion should be paid by the centre to the province.