Shrugging off the government’s cynicism over Balochistan, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that he was only “fulfilling his duty” as a citizen of Pakistan because the situation in the province is crucial to the country’s stability.
“Holding free and fair election is the government’s responsibility,” Nawaz said and reiterated his call for the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) to be immediately withdrawn from the restive province to ensure transparent polls.
The PML-N chief was speaking to journalists after condoling with former Supreme Court Bar Association president and rights campaigner Asma Jahangir over her mother’s demise.
Kaira defends FC presence
Earlier in the day Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the government would withdraw the FC from Balochistan under one condition: Nawaz Sharif takes responsibility for the consequences.
Only 5% of the province is settled, the rest is under the control of the FC, Kaira told journalists at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore. He added that the ruling PPP has conceded the “sins” of previous governments vis-à-vis Balochistan and has sought forgiveness from “our Baloch brothers”.
Terming Monday’s meeting between Nawaz and Jamhoori Watan Party chief Talal Akbar Bugti a “welcome development”, the information minister said the PPP believed all problems faced by the country must be addressed politically. However, he added that unlike Nawaz, the PPP never hankered after cheap popularity.
Hitting back
The PML-N chief, however, said that the government has not taken any significant step in the past four and a half years to resolve the issues faced by the Baloch people.
He said it was a key demand of the Baloch leadership that the army and FC be withdrawn from the province. Nawaz added that he favoured the formation of a grand alliance to resolve the festering issue.
He went on to add that the issue of Balochistan was important and since those who had gone missing from the province were Pakistani citizens, it was crucial to fight for their rights.
On the occasion, Jahangir said it was the first time that a Punjabi leader was speaking out so strongly for the Baloch, while supporting Nawaz’s stance over the Balochistan issue. She also found it strange that the government was demanding that Nawaz take responsibility for the situation in Balochistan while it was currently ruling the country.
Nawaz to leave for Italy
The PML-N chief was scheduled to leave late night Tuesday for Italy, where he will preside over the party’s overseas convention on October 7, his staff said. According to party officials, the PML-N chief will focus on party donations to strengthen the party’s position in the upcoming general elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2012.
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i just ask one question from Kaira and all who are in government and always support agencies and FC (frontier corps) and deny any operation in balochistan. my question is Why FC is deployed in Balochistan, definetly the answar would be "for maintaince of Law and order" but let me ask kaira sahib please before supporting FC he should ask Deffence secretary for that report, in which army at its own held an inquriy against FC and sepecially FC's intelegence unit. The mandate given to the inquriy team was to inquire against the serving officers for involved in kidnapping of citizens for ransom and extortion. the tean established facts and proved that the head of the intelegence unit and his officers are involved in these crimes and as result those were reverted back to army.
sir. officers themsleves are involved in such cases than i think the people of balcohistan are more scure with out the FC and intelegence agencies, kaira sahib no dought Nawaz shrif does know any thing, but you also dont know what is going on in balochistan, thus please dont try to deffend FC, army or any agencies.