The ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its coalition partners are not on the same page vis-à-vis the government’s Balochistan policy, as the partners decry inaction and lack of commitment by their major partner of the alliance for restoration of peace in the troubled province. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha told Pakistan Today that the government seemed to be failing to implement its stated policy on Balochistan and its inaction suggested some confusion or lack of commitment, which was alarming. Agha said, however, that it was a positive sign that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had recently visited Quetta and had committed to visiting Balochistan every month. He said though that no major breakthrough had been made during his visit, which was surprising.
“Finally, the prime minister’s visit suggests that now the government is trying to concentrate on ways and means to restore peace in Balochistan. I think after getting its provincial share under the NFC award and provincial autonomy, things must have been improved in the troubled province. Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan was also a good step and it was carved out of the recommendations made by the Shujaat-Mushahid Commission. However, it is unfortunate that the Balochistan package was not implemented,” he said.
Calling upon the federal and provincial governments to act in a timely manner for a peace deal with the insurgents, Agha said the government should now contact the dissident Baloch leaders and persuade them to return to their homes and shun insurgency, which was of no use. Haji Munir Aurakzai, parliamentary leader of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) group, rejected the government’s policy on Balochistan in totality, saying the policies existed only on paper and nothing was done in reality.
“I suppose they lack intent and commitment to resolve Balochistan’s issues. Had they implemented their tall claims only to the extent of 60 percent, the matter would have been resolved. I think they are following the policy of time-pass and they work on a day-to-day basis,” he said. Senator Zahid Khan of the Awami National Party told Pakistan Today that most of the issues of the people of Balochistan had been resolved through the 18th Amendment and all provincial units had been given full autonomy.
“My party has always supported the Baloch nationalists. However, leave the government’s policy on Balochistan alone because all the issues of the Baloch nationalists have been addressed after provincial autonomy, and the Baloch people have now ownership of their resources. Now there is a need to launch a dialogue with the dissident Baloch leaders,” he said.
Khan offered no comments on the government’s Balochistan policy, saying that autonomy was more important than the federal government’s policy. Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan package was announced by the PPP’s Senator Raza Rabbani on November 24, 2009 is yet to be implemented completely despite the fact that the PPP is ruling the province, with its Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani at the helm of affairs and heading a minority party of seven MPAs, while the PML-Q is a majority party with 18 MPAs.
PML-Q Chief Whip and Health Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada told Pakistan Today that former president Pervez Musharraf had told the PML-Q MPAs not to form their government because of the anger prevalent among nationalist parties against the PML-Q. He said his party, despite being the majority party in the Balochistan Assembly, had sacrificed its majority in favour of the PPP’s nominee with a hope that Raisani might restore peace to Balochistan by persuading the rebel Baloch leaders to rejoin the political mainstream.