Balochistan National Party (Mengal) has rejected the ongoing census in the province and declared that in the presence of millions of Afghan refugees census in Balochistan was unacceptable. BNP Central Secretary Information Agha Hassan Baloch, Saeed Ahmad Kurd and Muhammad Imran, addressing a demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club on Sunday, said that 4 million Afghan refugees were dwelling in Balochistan and if they were counted in the census survey, there were apprehensions among the Baloch population that their majority would be converted into minority in their own motherland.
They said that Baloch nation would never accept any census in the presence of Afghan refugees. Accusing Afghan refugees of introducing Kalashnikov and drug culture in Balochistan, the speakers said that owing to their presence, the law and order situation of the province had badly deteriorated. They said the Afghan refugees had managed to obtain Pakistani national identity cards and Pakistani passports. They had been enlisted as voters and had purchased property everywhere in the province.
The speakers said thousands of people had been displaced from Dera Bugti and Kohlu districts due to the military operation launched by Pervez Musharraf while a large number of people had been displaced from Naseerabad and Jaffarabad owing to the devastating floods. They claimed that about 1 million people were displaced in Balochistan and in such a situation census was not viable.
They said that BNP would not accept any census report in the presence of Afghan refuges and without rehabilitation of displaced people of Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Naseerabad and Jaffarabaad. They also appealed to the United Nations for taking notice of injustices and excesses towards Baloch population and ensure transparent census in Balochistan.