Raisani, Rehman Malik aim to stabilise security situation

Federal and Balochistan govt agree to take joint action to stabilise the situation as province observes strike.

ISLAMABAD: The federal and Balochistan governments agreed on Monday to take joint action to stabilise the security situation in the Balochistan province.

The decision was made during a meeting between Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Balochistan's Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani in Islamabad.

Both the ministers vowed to eliminate terrorism from the province at any cost.

Rehman Malik will visit the province next week to analyse the law and order situation.

In a senate session last week, the law and order situation of the country topped the agenda. Professor Khursheed Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami said that in the last three years, intelligence agencies had taken into custody over 1,600 people from Balochistan, including 352 who went missing during the tenure of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government. While PML-Q’s Senator SM Zafar said an ethnic cleansing had started in Balochistan and lamented that no one was voicing support for the settlers. “

Strike being observed today

A complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike is being observed in the province today (Monday) on the call of Baloch Students Organisation against the target killing of workers and for recovery of missing persons.

The provincial capital saw all shops and markets closed due to the strike. Commercial activity in several other districts had also come to a standstill.

Markets remained closed in Mastoong, Mangchar, Sorab, Khuzdar, Nal, Zahri, Karh Bahgbana Totak, Awraan, Mashkay Noshki, Turbat and Hub while public transport was also severely affected.

The Baloch Students Organisation has demanded the government to take measures to recover the missing persons and crackdown on target killings.

Violence this year has surged with Balochistan and human rights activists raising concerns about the increase in target killings in the province. Amnesty International last month called on Pakistan to investigate the alleged torture and killing of more than 40 political leaders and activists in the province.

Hundreds of people have died since Baloch rebels rose up in 2004 demanding political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region’s wealth of natural oil, gas and mineral resources.