LAHORE: Announcing the boycott of the All Parties Conference (APC) convened by the prime minister, Shahzain Bugti, the senior leader of the JWP, has warned of East Pakistan-like debacle in Balochistan if the government doesn't mend its ways.
Addressing a press conference at a local hotel on Monday, Shahzain Bugti, the grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti, said as long as the military operation continues in the province, the situation could never gain normalcy.
Suggesting a nine-point formula for restoring peace in Balochistan, Shahzain demanded the arrest of former dictator Pervez Musharraf as well as calling for an end to regular intervention of security agencies in the troubled province. Besides, he also demanded end to the kidnapping of people as well as 'no go areas', recovery of missing persons, security of citizens and end to the bullet-riddled corpses which were regularly found in Balochistan.
To a question about the resolution tabled in US Congress calling for right of self-determination for the people of Balochistan, Shahzain said that if the kidnapping and killing of innocent people continued, no one from Balochistan would oppose the resolution tabled in the Congress. He also stated that he had no objection to the resolution tabled in Congress. Shahzain said the government could address the Balochistan issue within 72 hours if it showed sincerity.
To another question, he said the intelligence agencies were the major hindrance in the solution of Balochistan problem. To another query, he said the people of Balochistan had rejected the so-called package announced by the government from day one and stated that neither APC nor the lip-service could address the grievances of people.
SCBA to invite Mengal, Marri to seminar on Balochistan
Supreme Court Bar Association President Yaseen Azad will meet Baloch leaders, Sardar Ataullah Mengal and Khair Bakhsh Marri, next week to invite them at a seminar, which is being held on Balochistan issue.
Talking to reporters at the Supreme Court building, the SCBA president said that the bar was arranging a three-day seminar in the federal capital, in which all the major political parties, senior Baloch leaders and renowned lawyers would participate to discuss the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan. Azad said that an SCBA delegation would meet Sardar Mengal and Khair Marri next week and another delegation would visit a camp set up by the relatives of missing persons in the federal capital to express solidarity with them.
He said that all the superior bars were concerned about violation of human rights in Balochistan and demanded the government take effective steps to ensure recovery of missing persons otherwise the situation would go out of control. The SCBA president strongly endorsed the Pakistan Bar Council's (PBC) resolution against target killings of the Baloch people by state agencies.
"This house also condemns mysterious deaths and murders of the abducted persons who are found dead in various parts of Balochistan, and demands that those responsible for such murders be severely dealt with," the PBC resolution said. The council decided that its free legal aid committee would provide free legal assistance to the relatives of the missing persons, it further said.
Earlier, talking to our sources, SCBA Secretary Aslam Zar said that the bar was taking up the Balochistan issue on the recommendation of former SCBA president Asma Jahangir. He said the bar had rejected a US congressman's resolution on Balochistan because it was violation of Pakistan's sovereignty.
End.
(Source Pak Tribune)
