Balochistan Assembly: Malik wants to emulate Irish peace model
Says instead of Sri Lankan policy of killing Tamils, adopt English strategy.
CM Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik addressing the assembly session in Quetta. PHOTO: ONLINE
QUETTA:
Emphasising that the Balochistan issue is purely political and economic in nature, Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said it is not so simple and has many dimensions.
“Before moving ahead for resolving the issue of Balochistan, its background has to be comprehended keeping in view the presence of extremism and other issues,” he said speaking on the floor of the Balochistan Assembly on Wednesday.
He was of the view that the issue of law and order is multi-dimensional and its first dimension is the Baloch insurgency.
The people who are called disgruntled Baloch elements actually represent the separatist mindset that prevails in the entire world.
“The second issue is of terrorism and this too is not limited to our province or country but is an international issue and these people are also divided into two schools of thoughts,” he added.
Dr Malik further said that the third issue is absence of good governance during the past ten years and the government’s patronage of the groups who have hijacked the society.
“Powerful groups in the past remained involved in acts of kidnapping for ransom,” the chief minister said. “We have to analyse and come up with a solution for all the problems and devise a joint strategy.”
He said that as far as Baloch insurgency is concerned, the rulers adopted the Sri Lankan policy of killing Tamil separatists. Whereas they could have adopted the UK’s strategy of continued negotiations with Irish people waging struggle for independence.
“The English model should be adopted in Balochistan,” he said and reminded the House that this was the fifth insurgency in the province and all the previous ones had also been tackled on negotiation table.
“This time again the Baloch insurgency has to be resolved through negotiations,” Dr Malik emphasized.
He said that prior to the negotiations, a conducive environment has to be created for it. The first step in this direction is stopping the recovery of mutilated bodies and solution of the issue of the missing persons.
“We would form a parliamentary committee for this purpose which would include the political leaders and social and tribal elites of the province,” Dr Malik said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2013.
Emphasising that the Balochistan issue is purely political and economic in nature, Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said it is not so simple and has many dimensions.
“Before moving ahead for resolving the issue of Balochistan, its background has to be comprehended keeping in view the presence of extremism and other issues,” he said speaking on the floor of the Balochistan Assembly on Wednesday.
He was of the view that the issue of law and order is multi-dimensional and its first dimension is the Baloch insurgency.
The people who are called disgruntled Baloch elements actually represent the separatist mindset that prevails in the entire world.
“The second issue is of terrorism and this too is not limited to our province or country but is an international issue and these people are also divided into two schools of thoughts,” he added.
Dr Malik further said that the third issue is absence of good governance during the past ten years and the government’s patronage of the groups who have hijacked the society.
“Powerful groups in the past remained involved in acts of kidnapping for ransom,” the chief minister said. “We have to analyse and come up with a solution for all the problems and devise a joint strategy.”
He said that as far as Baloch insurgency is concerned, the rulers adopted the Sri Lankan policy of killing Tamil separatists. Whereas they could have adopted the UK’s strategy of continued negotiations with Irish people waging struggle for independence.
“The English model should be adopted in Balochistan,” he said and reminded the House that this was the fifth insurgency in the province and all the previous ones had also been tackled on negotiation table.
“This time again the Baloch insurgency has to be resolved through negotiations,” Dr Malik emphasized.
He said that prior to the negotiations, a conducive environment has to be created for it. The first step in this direction is stopping the recovery of mutilated bodies and solution of the issue of the missing persons.
“We would form a parliamentary committee for this purpose which would include the political leaders and social and tribal elites of the province,” Dr Malik said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2013.