Balochistan National Party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Saturday said mere apologies and “packages” could not resolve the issues of Balochistan, as the people of Balochistan had been driven to a point of no return by continued atrocities by successive governments, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said Balochistan was a political issue and needed a political, not military solution.
Addressing a joint press conference with PTI chief Imran Khan after a meeting at Islamabad, Mengal said verbal apologies could not resolve the issues being faced by Balochistan unless the forces guilty of crimes against the Baloch admitted their mistakes, adding that the very forces had no remorse for what they had done in Balochistan.
The BNP chief stated had the particular quarter had any regrets for what they did in Balochistan, their attitude in the Supreme Court would have been anything but aggressive. “The attorney general of Pakistan, the chief law officer of the federation, acts as a lieutenant general during hearing of the Balochistan case in the Supreme Court,” Mengal continued.
Charity: To a question on the centre giving several benefits to Baloch people in the Balochistan rights package and the NFC Award,
Mengal said the Baloch people had never been struggling for alms or charity from the federation.
“We have only been struggling for our due rights, not charity. The Baloch youth are not sacrificing their lives for ‘packages’ or from share in the NFC Award. We have been demanding the ownership of our own resources since 1947.”
He said no voice had been raised against the genocide of Baloch people throughout the country, adding that holding elections in Balochistan in the current circumstances was impossible.
Mengal said his purpose for being in Islamabad was not to ask the Centre of resolution of the crisis, but to contact the Supreme Court for the missing persons’ case only, as he had seen a ray of hope from the apex court in the Balochistan missing persons’ case.
To a question, Mengal said he had failed to seek strong practical support from political parties, other than sympathies.
However, Mengal said the political parties from Punjab could rescue Balochs from the jaws of “certain forces”.
The BNP leader said despite providing natural gas to the entire country, Sui and other area of the province were yet to get gas supply.
Malik: Ruling out foreign involvement in the province, Mengal said, “Why is it that only Rehman Malik and a few agencies can see the evil work of foreign hands in Balochistan, why is the media or the international community unable to see the same. If any such thing exists, why is the government silent and not raising an issue with those involved in the province?”
Mengal said he was proud of raising a voice for the Baloch nation and speaking about the tears of Baloch mothers so that the people in Punjab could become aware of the atrocities inflicted upon the people of Balochistan. The BNP chief thanked Imran Khan for supporting his six-point agenda.
Imran Khan: The PTI chief said political issues could not be resolved through use of military might, but by political means only.
“There is no future for Pakistan if the state fails to provide justice to smaller provinces, affected sects and minorities. It is time to create a new Pakistan and to move ahead after learning from past mistakes,” Imran said. He said the worsening law and order in Balochistan was the failure of the government, and armed forces or the agencies would have been solely responsible in absence of a government.
He said the PTI raised a voice against the military rule and operation even when there was no democratic government in the country.
The PTI chief also questioned the role of government in Balochistan if everything was being run by the armed forces.
“Now even courts are saying that people are being detained and abducted from the province, and if any of the agencies is involved in the issue, it is a wrong approach and not the right solution to the issue,” he added.
Imran said his party always opposed military expeditions in Balochistan as well as in FATA. “If the Hamoodur Rehman commission report had been made public and necessary actions initiated against those pointed out in the report, the situation in the country would not have come to this,” the PTI chief said.
Earlier, Mengal met Imran Khan, during which the PTI chief and leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi pledged to support Mengal’s proposals.
Apologies cannot appease the Baloch: Akhtar Mengal
