Zulfiqar Magsi says he’s ready to quit politics

Says injunction necessary against interim SC order.

QUETTA:

Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Ali Magsi announced on Friday his desire to retire from politics, while also addressing the interim order issued by the Supreme Court last week.

Magsi warned that if a stay order was not acquired against the interim order that the Supreme Court issued last week, repercussions would be grave. The governor also said that while the atmosphere was congenial for the general elections in Balochistan, he has no intention to run in the elections, as he wants to retire from practical politics.

Magsi was speaking to members of the Balochistan Media Action Committee. He discussed the significance of the SC interim order, which detailed the Balochistan government’s failure to maintain law and order in the province and directed it to adopt appropriate measures to end the sense of deprivation amongst people in the troubled province. The order also directed them to provide compensation to the families of missing persons.

Magsi said that that after consulting legal experts, he advised the provincial and federal authorities to lodge a review appeal against the interim order. He added that no one had instructed him to contact the disgruntled Baloch leaders, adding that those rumours were spread by the media.

He said that talks of bloodshed were also limited to the media and that the situation was undoubtedly precarious in Balochistan, but controlling the situation was the responsibility of the provincial government and it should rise up to its responsibilities.

The governor also made it clear that there was no deficiency of funds within the Balochistan government; however, he added that he did question where the funds were being spent.

“The opposition was washed away with billions of rupees ... and this is the very reason why no opposition exists in Balochistan,” Zulfiqar Magsi said.

The governor was also apprised of the difficulties the media faces and discussion on how the  Supreme Court’s interim order forbids the media to publish statements released by banned outfits.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2012.