KARACHI: Human rights activists and senior journalists have emphasised that the resolution to Balochistan’s longstanding issues lies in peaceful dialogue.
Baloch leaders stressed that they accept the writ of the state and reiterated their commitment to peaceful struggle, asking the state to listen to them. They demanded that true representatives of the Baloch people be given space in the parliament and that all missing persons be recovered. If anyone is accused of a crime, they should be presented in court under due legal process. These views were expressed during a seminar held on Sunday at Karachi Press Club, organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).
The event marked 16 years since the enforced disappearance of Dr Deen Muhammad Baloch, father of central committee leader Sami Deen Baloch. Speakers included Sami Deen Baloch herself, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairman Asad Iqbal Butt, BYC’s Wahab Baloch, Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili, senior journalists Wusatullah Khan and Mazhar Abbas, Karachi Bachao Tehreek convener Khurram Ali, and women’s rights activist Sheema Kermani, who highlighted the plight of missing persons through her performance.
Sami Deen Baloch appealed to the state to acknowledge and resolve the issue of enforced disappearances. “We uphold and believe in the sovereignty of the state and want it to act justly with us,” she said. Mazhar Abbas remarked that had the recommendations from the Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan initiative been implemented timely, many of these problems could have been resolved.
Earlier, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has called for a “political solution” to the issues in Balochistan, vowing to play a key political and democratic role in fostering peace in the restive province.
Mr Sharif made this statement during a meeting with former Balochistan chief minister and National Party President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch at his Jati Umra residence on Wednesday, a day after army chief Gen Asim Munir assured foreign investors that Pakistan would provide robust security to protect their interest amid heightened unrest in the mineral-rich province. Mr Sharif and Dr Baloch discussed the overall political situation in the country, especially Balochistan. The former PM said he would play his political and democratic role in promoting peace in Balochistan. “I will soon visit Balochistan to meet the [angry] people there. The issue of Balochistan is political and must be resolved through political means,” Mr Sharif was quoted by Dr Baloch as saying. He said Mr Sharif assured that he would personally take interest in the matters of Balochistan. “I told Mr Sharif that his role is crucial given the current situation in Balochistan. We held an in-depth discussion on the political affairs of the province. There is an ongoing sit-in in Balochistan, and many people are imprisoned. Nawaz Sharif should play his part in resolving these issues,” the former CM said, adding that the elder Sharif agreed to play his role.
Dr Baloch was referring to the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) sit-in led by Sardar Akhtar Mengal against the arrest of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and activists, including Dr Mahrang Baloch, and police crackdown on their sit-in in Quetta.
Talking to reporters after the meeting in Lahore, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said that Dr Baloch shared his views and requested that Nawaz Sharif play an active role in resolving the issues of Balochistan. –Agencies
