The federal government has once again somersaulted on its earlier decision on Gwadar Port Authority despite the fact that the federal cabinet had earlier nominated the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Nawab Aslam Raisani, as chairman of the authority and a notification was issued in this regard as pointed out by Mr Raisani himself while talking to newsmen in Quetta (May 22).
The chief minister of Balochistan has fully exposed the intentions of federal government and rejected the recent deal between Pakistan and China on Gwadar Port saying that his government was not consulted and the decision would increase the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan.
Meanwhile, the federal defence minister had disclosed that the Chinese government had agreed to a request from Pakistan to take over Gwadar Port Operation once the tenure of Singapore Port Authority expired. He also disclosed that the Pakistan government had also requested China to build a naval base in Gwadar.
Mr Raisani also pointed out the government had announced the “Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package” but it was not implemented to this date. “On the one hand, the federal government is making promises to end the sense of deprivation of the Baloch and on the other hand, 85 percent development schemes of Balochistan are being slashed,” Raisani told newsmen.
Through your esteemed newspaper, I request all patriotic Pakistanis to resist the unjustified move of the federal government meant to deprive the people of Balochistan further from their own Gwadar Port and other resources. The recent decision will have far reaching impact on the province; therefore we should all insist that the federal government stop treating Balochistan like a colony. Further, the federal government’s so-called “Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package”, development schemes and handing over Gwadar Port to the province all have finally proved false promises for the people of the sensitive Balochistan province.
MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL
Karachi
