PML-N to move NA for All Parties’ Commission on Balochistan: Nisar

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday decided to bring a resolution in the National Assembly demanding an All Parties’ Commission to initiate dialogue process with angry Baloch leadership.
Addressing a news conference here at Punjab House, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that his party was in favour of engaging all political parties in the commission to start talks with estranged Baloch leaders.
He said that his party was not proposing the idea for political point scoring, but was trying to rectify mistakes of the past.
Nisar also defended the “six points” proposed by Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Akhtar Mengal, saying his demands were justified, while denying that they carried any element of treason.
Nisar said the proposed commission would function in a parliamentary and democratic manner, while supplementing the Supreme Court’s proceedings in cases related to Balochistan unrest.
Nisar said he was expected support and cooperation from all political parties which feel the Baloch people’s pain.
Criticising the “carefree approach” of the federal government, Nisar said that the government officials were accusing Mengal of treason instead of meeting him and allaying his concerns. He said that Mengal had demanded the government to act against those who were responsible for atrocities on the Baloch people, adding that it was not an unjustified demand. “If someone raises voice against the killings, involuntary or forced abductions, how could it be termed a rebellion or treason?”
Nisar said the government was not playing its role, while parliament was not as functional on the Balochistan issue as it should have been. He said that only the Supreme Court was playing its due role in the crisis. He said that every government in the past was responsible for the crisis in Balochistan, adding that it was particularly the regime of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf that aggravated the situation.
He said the issue would not be resolved until the nation seriously deals with the problems in Pakistan’s largest province. The opposition leader also criticised the government’s weekly review of petroleum prices, saying frequent increases in fuel prices had made life hard for the white collar class.
He said that his party’s government would have made it a tri-weekly review of POL prices, adding that the weekly review was benefiting the government while emptying the pockets of the general public.
Talking about the consultative process for the caretaker setup for general elections, he said that as the leader of the opposition, he was not bound to consult everyone, but was doing so for the sake of democratic norms and values.
He added that he had received two names each from various political parties and had finalised few names in the second round out of which the final name for the caretaker set up would be finalised.
Nisar said that he would announce two names for the caretaker prime minister after finalising them with the consensus of most political forces. He said he would announce the names after dissolution of the assemblies, adding that after the passage of the 20th Amendment, there was no role left for the government in the caretaker setup.
Nisar also criticised Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman for his statements in favour of the government, saying the JUI-F chief was sitting in the opposition while feeling pain for the government.
He further said that soon a “greater alliance” would be formed in Sindh against the Pakistan People’s Party to end its monopoly in the province.
On Local Government Ordinance, he said that it was an agenda to divide Sindh for personal interests of President Asif Ali Zardari.