Jahangir said that the lawyers have always played a positive role on Balochistan’s issue and always raised their voices against the ongoing atrocities in the province.
QUETTA: As extra judicial killings and bullet riddled bodies continue to be found in Balochistan, the time has come to decide who would run this country, politicians or the military, lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir said on Monday as she led a fact finding mission to the troubled province on Monday.
Addressing the Balochistan Bar, Jahangir said that the lawyers have always played a positive role on Balochistan’s issue and always raised their voices against the ongoing atrocities in the province.
“The extra judicial killings and mutilated bodies are being found in Balochistan, which is a negative step.”
Jahangir added that time has to come that we decide who would really run this country, politicians or the military leadership on gun point.
She said the recent general elections have proved that the people of the country believed in democracy despite the immense challenges facing people who took part in the elections.
The former Supreme Court bar association president said that previous governments made such policies, which have made today’s democratic government stronger and independent, and that it is time for everyone to play their due role to make the country prosper.
“The Balochs are as patriotic as any other,” she said, adding that they need to be given their rights.
Jahangir said that the incumbent provincial government has given the chance to the Baloch nationalists, which is a good sign for the province, but the provincial government still needs to do more.
Jahangir is leading the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) high level fact finding mission to Balochistan in light of the terrorist attacks in Quetta and Ziarat earlier in June.
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The need of the our is ownership by the civilian rulers of the problems and its solutions. The sooner Ms. Jehangir wakes up from her imaginary civilian vs military tussle, the better, other HRCP is ruining its credibility. . The Civilian Govt. can't even formulate a simple anti-terror policy, so why blame the military?
The Baluch need to be liberated from Sardar rule. A sardar will bury women alive and their call it their tradition in the parliament. The army would never do such a thing. As for those who bomb buses full of children, those particular individuals deserve no mercy or negotiations.
@FarmerDr: Isn't a Farmer Dr called a Vet?? Or are we back to developing words??
@A J Khan: I am neither Punjabi nor Balochi although people mistake me for one. Until we start to think as Pakistanis the bloodshed and injustices will not end. I do not want such a future for my children, do you for yours?
She is Madam no one in Balochistan. We donot need her sympathies in Balochistan. She should do her half politics half NGO half Law in Punjab to where she belongs.
Without the perception of a responsive government and an even handed justice system there will be little improvement in Balochistan. It is a vicious cycle of atrocity by nationalists countered by another atrocity. One hopes that Asma can restore sanity by the force of her personality.