Senator Humayun Khan Mandokhail on Monday said that less representation of Pashtuns from Balochistan in the parliament as compared to their population in the province was creating numerous issues for Baloch Pashtuns. He further said that the Taliban were emerging and establishing themselves in the Pashtun belt of Balochsitan.
During an exclusive interview with Pakistan Today at Parliament House, the senator said that the Parliamentarians who wrote the fate of the people and played an important role in the legislative process and upholding of constitution should not be dual nationals.
Elaborating further, he said that nationality of a country demanded loyalty and in some situations it was impossible to be loyal towards two opposing interest holders.
He lauded President Zardari’s recent statement regarding the North Waziristan operation saying that the president had taken a wise stance and that a national consensus was necessary before any operation was staged irrespective of foreign pressures. Mandokhail also praised Zardari for his strong stance at United Nations over the issue of blasphemy in which he demanded blasphemy be declared an international crime, adding that he was the first Muslim head of state that made a true representation of Mulim sentiment on the issue. Mandokhail was of the view that Baloch separatists or any other separatist movement was not present in the Pashtun belt of Balochistan though he asserted that Taliban were emerging and establishing themselves in the Pashtun belt of Balochistan.
Mandokhail stressed that a major issue of Pashtuns from Balochistan was their representation in the parliament which stood at 27 percent at present which was 18 percent less than their population. Baloch residents on the other hand enjoyed 18 percent more representation as compared to their population, he said. Under the Khan of Qallat formula, he said, there was a difference of 5 percent claimed by the Pashtuns which was giving birth to other problems in the area.