TahirAshrafi, while demanding that the Baloch be given their rights, said that BramdaghBugti and Harbiyar would be welcomed if they returned as Pakistanis. “But if they act like Indian or US pawns they will be treated like enemies,” he added.
Not only the situation in Balochistan is not improving, the real challenge is that it is fast deteriorating. Like in the past, the ruling elite is not taking right decisions at the right time. There have been lot of claims by the government of having done this or done that.
Yet, people in the strife-stricken province are angry and not willing to trust either the federal or the provincial government. The nationalist forces, the majority of their leadership being in exile is in no mood to engage in any dialogue with the government. Instead, they have been talking of two things.
Firstly, they are asking for complete withdrawal of army from the province and secondly, independence of their land. At present both the demands seem asking for too much. The government is willing to hold talks with Baloch leadership remaining within the Pakistan framework. It has already withdrawn army units which were deployed in troubled areas. Baloch leaders have been accusing the army and its security agencies for being involved in the target killing and kidnapping of their activists.
On the other hand PM is also summoning APC to give his healing touch.
Amid widespread apprehensions and limited chances of participation by disgruntled Baloch leaders, the prime minister has constituted a 13-member committee to contact the country’s political leadership for convening an All Parties’ Conference (APC) to discuss the Balochistan situation.
The committee has been tasked with contacting the political leadership of the country, including those who have no representation in Parliament, and to finalise a mutually-convenient date for the conference.
Several APC s have been held on the Balochistan issue but still there has been no let up in the torture and injustices on the people of Balochistan. The Pakistani rulers are just hoodwinking the people by apologising for the injustices meted out to Balochis. But with every apology the injustices increases. The people of Balochistan are not only facing state oppression but are also facing problems of poverty, hunger, illiteracy and deprivation of health and other necessary facilities.
As far as the solidarity expressed by the religious parties with Balochistan goes it is alsoa political gimmick. Balochistan is now suddenly becoming centre of attention. These same religious parties during the Musharraf era were part of the political setup. Baloch nationalist parties criticising such elements say that if these political and religious parties had united earlier and had raised their voices than maybe the situation in Balochistan many not have come to no point of return.