Peace gathering: Speakers say no ethnic rift in Balochistan

Insist Baloch, Pashtun and Hazaras have been living peacefully for centuries.

QUETTA: Politicians drawn from a wide spectrum of groupings in Balochistan said on Sunday that there was no dispute among Baloch, Pashtun and Hazaras dwelling in the province.

Some forces were endeavouring to create ethnic differences in Balochistan to protect their interests in the resources of the province, they said at a ‘peace gathering’ organised by Political Parties Coordination Committee (PPCC) on Sunday.

Political leaders, including Dr Jahanzaib Jamaldini of Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani of National Party, Nasebullah Bazai from PML-N, Akhtar Baloch Jamaat-e-Islami , Ahmed Ali Hazara of Hazara Democratic Party and Rasheed Khan Nasir from the Awami National Party expressed their views at the gathering.

They were unanimous that there was no rift amongst ethnic groups in Balochistan who had been living peacefully for centuries, adding that some forces were trying to create differences for their interests.

The traditions of Balochistan have no history of extremism and sectarianism, they said.

The speakers at PPCC condemning the military operation in the province said it was the fifth one in Balochistan. Hundreds of Baloch political workers had been killed by security forces and government functionaries, they said.

Citing the incidents of Alamdar and Kirani roads in Quetta in which over 200 Hazara people were killed, they said sectarian violence was being spread across the province through a plan.



They said that the resources of Balochistan were being looted in Saindak, Reko Dik and Chamalang areas and now the centre had handed over the Gwadar port to China.

They said that the resources of Balochistan belonged to all ethnic groups living in the province thus they have to demonstrate unity to end sectarian violence and protect the resources of the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2013.