Diary - Balochistan
 
Sui cantonment turns into military college
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January 14, 2011
The Pakistan Army has formally abandoned the newly-constructed controversial cantonment in Sui and converted it into a military college.

Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani inaugurated the college at a ceremony on Monday, January 3, and announced that 10,000 Baloch youths would be inducted into the army. Classes will commence in April, with 60 per cent seats reserved for Balochistan.

Former president Pervez Musharraf had ordered setting up of cantonment in Sui town of Dera Bugti district, ignoring opposition by Baloch and Pakhtun nationalist parties. The Balochistan Assembly had also adopted a resolution against the construction of more army cantonments in the province.

However, the PPP government had dropped a plan to establish cantonments in Sui and Kohlu, and decided to hand over both the garrisons to Frontier Corps.

Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Magsi, Chief Minister Aslam Raisani, Commander Southern Command Lt-Gen Javed Zia and hundreds of Bugti tribesmen and elders attended the function.

The Army Chief said: “It is a gift from Pakistan Army to the people of Balochistan.” He said a military college was established in Jhelum 85 years ago, followed by another in 2008 in Murree, and now the Army had decided to convert Sui cantonment into the third military college of the country.

“Now educational institutions will be established in Sui instead of cantonment areas,” Gen Kayani announced.

He said as there were reservations in Balochistan about establishing military cantonments, it was decided to convert the Sui cantonment into a military college.

“An educated Balochistan will help make Pakistan stronger,” Gen Kayani said, adding that the Army and people could make the country stable and strong.

The Army chief said the people of Balochistan were patriotic Pakistanis and he wanted that a maximum number of officers joined the army from that province. He said it was the responsibility of all people to make Pakistan a developed country.

Gen Kayani highlighted the steps being taken by the Army in education, health and other sectors in Balochistan, and said the Army and Frontier Corps were running 47 educational institutions in the province where around 23,000 students were acquiring education. Several thousand students from Balochistan were admitted to army’s educational institutions in Murree, while the Army wanted to provide maximum educational and vocational training facilities to the students of Balochistan so that they could get jobs and contribute to the development and prosperity of the country.

Gen Kayani said 3,500 Baloch youths had joined different army units after completing training, while another 5,000 youths would start training in March.

He said Balochistan was rich in various resources that needed to be utilised for the development of the province. “People of Balochistan have first right to these resources,” he said, adding that if these resources were utilised properly, Balochistan would become the richest province in the country.

Chief Minister Aslam Raisani expressed pleasure over converting the Sui army cantonment into a military college and said that it would help raise the standard of education in Balochistan.

However, he asked the Pakistan Petroleum Limited authorities to provide jobs to the youths of Dera Bugti district, who had competed technical training in vocational institutions.

Mr Raisani also announced construction of Sibi-Rakhani-Sangsilla road this year. While answering the question related to the resistance forces, he said, he had already invited the resistance forces, and was once again inviting them to come forward and negotiate on all issues for peaceful settlement. The force of stick and gun could not be the solution to issues, he said, adding that big war in the past could not resolve the issues, which were always solved through negotiation.

Showing concern over the target killings in Balochistan, the CM said killing of cobblers, barbers, laundry men and poor people could not solved the issues as such actions increased hatred among people.

It may be mentioned here that former president Gen Pervez Musharraf had announced three more cantonment in Gwadar, Sui and Kohlu, and all nationalist parties had rejected the move.

Party leaders were of the opinion that they could provide safety to all installations in the province so there was no need of cantonment, and in 2008, when the PPP came into power, it scrapped the plan by declaring it against the welfare of people.

In October 2009 Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani canceled the plans of establishing military cantonments at the time of announcing the Aghaz-e- Haqooq Balochistan package, but Baloch nationalists, especially separatists, are not happy with the changing of cantonment into educational facility.

However in the present circumstance of Balochistan, they said some practical and sincere steps were needed, otherwise the history of 1970s could be repeated in the province.

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