Troubled province: JI tries to strike right notes on Balochistan

Liaqat Baloch censures Musharraf for army operation, chides centre for disappearances.

QUETTA:

The federation should concede that the military operation started in Balochistan and the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the former dictator’s regime was a mistake, Jamat-e-Islami Secretary General Liaqat Baloch said on Wednesday.

“To make effective the All Parties Conference, the Balochistan CM should complete his homework for highlighting the problems of the province,” Baloch said.

Regarding the human rights violations, he said the country never had an enviable record.

“The basic right of people had been buried with Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinah’s body,” he said addressing the media flanked by Jamat-e-Islami provincial chief Abdul Mateen Akhwandzada, Zahid Akhter and other party leaders.

The JI leader blamed the United States for the escalation of hostilities around the globe, with American and European powers opening one war theatre after another.

“Ever since the 9/11 incident, the US is promoting violence across the world to forward its agenda of world dominance,” Baloch said. He said that Pervez Musharraf pushed the country into a proxy war which has thus far killed 47,000 people.

He said all parties have agreed on one point at the APC – dialogue – which was the general demand of JI in the past.



“Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Malik and BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal have presented the actual picture of Balochistan which is why we are going to call the APC in Balochistan,” he said and added that in this regard the provincial government should do its homework to highlight the issues of the province.

Baloch said the issue of Balochistan should be resolved through dialogues and in this context the JI would support the government. The enforced disappearances were on the rise across the country and the matter should be resolved on immediate basis.

He also spoke about the impact of power shortfall on agriculture and demanded that the electricity problems should be resolved at the earliest.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2013.