Cabinet panel calls for urgent steps in Balochistan

Report suggests missing persons cases be registered immediately.

ISLAMABAD:

The Cabinet Committee on Balochistan presented its final report on Thursday, painting a grim picture of the situation in the province. The report suggests that the government must take important measures on an urgent basis in the province in order to end the sense of deprivation prevailing among the Baloch people.

Briefing the media on the Federal Cabinet’s meeting, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the committee, led by Defence Minister Naveed Qamar, presented its final report on Balochistan, which was compiled following ‘wide-ranging dialogue’ with ‘all stakeholders’, including the Balochistan government. He said the Cabinet will decide how to move forward in order to implement the recommendations of the committee.

Citing the report, Kaira said that the committee has suggested that Balochistan should be under special focus during the upcoming elections in order for transparent elections to be held in the region. The report further states that while administrative and political changes are inevitable, the cases of missing persons from Balochistan should be registered immediately and vacant administrative seats should be filled within 30 days. It goes on to say that the Baloch leadership should also provide suggestions to the election commission directly for transparent elections.

Kaira, who is also part of the five-member panel, admitted that the mere constitution of a committee will not solve Balochistan’s issues, but said that, armed with the recommendations and cooperation from all stakeholders, including dissident Baloch leaders,  the situation can be improved.

In response to a question, the minister said that reasons for the failure of the government’s policies would also be examined. The minister said that it was up to the government to decide when to hold dialogue with Baloch leaders, but those who do not recognise Pakistan would not be invited to the table.

Meanwhile, the Federal Cabinet took stock of the situation involving Malala Yousafzai – the young activist from Swat who was attacked by the Taliban on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik briefed the cabinet over details of the attack. Malik said the two men who attacked her have been identified, adding that initial information regarding the attackers would aid them to get to the bottom of the plot hatched by miscreants to kill the 14-year-old.

The prime minister said that he would visit Malala on Friday (today) and extended an invitation to all political leaders to accompany him.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2012.