Senate body informs house about Balochistan visit

ISLAMABAD - The main opposition party in the Senate, PPP, Tuesday staged a walkout from the House to protest alleged rigging in the by-elections on LA-22, AJK Legislative Assembly.

Earlier, after the question hour, the chairman and members of the house committee on defence one by one again talked about the committee’s recent visit to Balochistan.

Speaking on appoint of order, the Chairman of the Senate Defence Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that this was the first such visit by a high-powered parliamentary committee to places like Urmara and Gwadar in the coasts of Balochistan and he said that the visit was an eye-opener for the delegation which included representatives of both opposition and government political parties from all provinces of Pakistan.

Mushahid said that while it was positive for the government to launch the Pakistan-China economic corridor beginning from Gwadar, it was important to have a comprehensive plan linking the corridor with the coastal development of Balochistan, Pakistan’s most strategic province. He said that Pakistan’s future lies in Gwadar and the region of Gilgit-Baltistan and he said that the Pakistan Navy was playing a commendable role in promoting both national integration as well as socio-economic development by providing quality education and health care to the people living across the 750-km coast of Balochistan.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the Pakistan Navy’s role was quite impressive and other services should emulate the example of the Pakistan Navy which has “won the hearts and minds of the people of Balochistan”.  He also called for an endowment fund to be established for running the Pakistan Navy Cadet College in Urmara which was serving as institution not only providing quality education but also promoting national integration.

Senator Rafiq Rajwana of the Pakistan Muslim League-N said that he became emotional when he saw the children of the Cadet College, Urmara performing and singing songs under the Pakistan national flag which symbolize the unity and diversity of Pakistan and its people.

Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo said that he was very happy that the Senators from other provinces of Pakistan had decided to visit remote areas of Balochistan with a view to better understanding the problems faced by the people there. He agreed that the observations of Senator Mushahid Hussain that the future of Pakistan was the economic development through Gwadar Port which could bring prosperity to Balochistan and serve as a gateway to Central Asia.

Senator Haji Adeel, who is from the ANP and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee underlined the need for providing developmental support for the underprivileged people of Balochistan, who had suffered due to exploitation and misrule by previous governments.

Senator Rauf Khan, representing PkMAP, said that the most important issue was to develop infrastructure-linking Gwadar with the rest of Balochistan including Turbat, Panjgor and Zhob, and this in turn would open up linkage between Balochistan and the rest of the provinces through a modern highway system. He urged that this project should be implemented at the earliest.

Senator Sardar Ali Khan underlined the need to rise in the budget of Pakistan Navy which he said, was suffering because it only got a meagre share of the defence budget while its role was pivotal in providing maritime security and also in promoting development and protecting the enforcement of the Balochistan coast.

Senator Sehar Kamran appreciated the role of Balochi women as equal partners of men in education as well as in the workforce and she conveyed her impressions of how Balochi women were working as teachers, doctors, and other professional capacities in the province of Balochistan.

Senator Rehman Malik of the PPP said that the Senate defence committee has taken this landmark initiative to tour Balochistan for itself and see facts on the ground.

< The Nation  >

Exclusive Interview of CM Balochistan: Dr Malik Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Unlike his predecessors, he’s not a khan, a nawab or a sardar. He belongs to a middle-class family. An eye specialist by profession, he persevered in his 40-odd years of political struggle. In the end it was all worthwhile. Today, he’s the chief minister of Balochistan.

Dr Abdul Malik Baloch successfully led his National Party in the May 11 elections and clinched enough seats to form a coalition government with the help of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

Dr Baloch is aware of the challenges his administration is faced with in a province reeling under a strange mix of ethno-political, sectarian and militant violence since 2004. And he appears to have a roadmap to steer his province out of the current mess.

“Restoration of peace tops my priority list,” 58-year-old Dr Baloch, a humble and soft-spoken politician, told The Express Tribune in an exclusive interview at Balochistan House in Islamabad.

The Frontier Corps has been accused of extrajudicial killing and illegal detention of ultranationalists and political workers in Balochistan. And Dr Baloch’s predecessor, Nawab Aslam Raisani, had tried, though unsuccessfully, throughout his tenure to bring the federal paramilitary force under his administration’s control.

On the contrary, Dr Baloch thinks the FC and political administration can work in synch for peace. “I don’t want confrontation with the Frontier Corps. We [provincial government and FC] will collectively solve all the issues facing our province,” he said.

Efforts by previous governments to win over a medley of Baloch separatist groups – including Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and Baloch Liberation Army – failed miserably in the past.

Dr Baloch, however, believes only political engagement is the way forward. “We are keen to bring the militants to the negotiating table with the help of the federal government,” he said. BRA chief Nawabzada Brahamdagh Bugti is living in self-exile in Switzerland, while BLA founder Nawabzada Herbiyar Marri is seeking political asylum in Britain. Dr Allah Nazar Baloch has been leading his BLF insurgents from his hideouts in Balochistan. Similarly, the Khan of Kalat, Mir Suleman Daud Khan, is also living in self-imposed exile in London.

Chief Minister Dr Baloch did not give a direct reply when asked if he planned to convince the Khan of Kalat to return to Pakistan. “He [the Khan of Kalat] is our honourable tribal leader,” he said in a terse reply.
Hundreds of families have been wrecked by raging violence in the province. Dr Baloch said his government would financially compensate the families who lost their members to violence. “The heirs of all those – including Punjabi settlers and Hazara community members who have been killed by terrorists and militants – are being paid Rs1 million each,” he added.

About the landmark 18th constitutional amendment which offered more autonomy to the provinces, the chief minister said he was happy that the federal government had recognised 50% share for oil and gas producing provinces on the revenue of their natural resources.

He refused to predict whether Chinese of American firms would be awarded the exploration licence for Reko Diq gold mines. “The matter is pending in the Supreme Court,” he added. “We’ll decide in the greater interest of Balochistan and its people.”

The previous administration had extended by five years the lease of Saindak copper mines exploration to a Chinese company. Dr Baloch, however, has reservations on the terms and conditions of the lease agreement. “We’ll take up the issue with the federal government to get our reservations addressed by the Chinese company,” he said.

The chief minister is also aware of the challenges his administration is facing in the health and education sectors.

“All government departments, particularly educational institutions, have collapsed during the last decade. The provincial government spends Rs25 billion annually on the salaries of teachers – yet the quality of education is still deplorable,” he said.

The situation in the health sector is no better. “Recently, we conducted a raid at state-run hospital in Chaman district. There were 17 doctors and 14 were missing,” he said.

Dr Baloch warned that he would not tolerate absenteeism at government offices. “I reach my office at 9am sharp and expect the same from all government functionaries, particularly senior bureaucrats. The bureaucracy will have to submit to the change,” he said.

Coming to the financial issues of the province, the chief minister accused the previous coalition governments of massive loot and plunder of public funds. “Balochistan witnessed unprecedented corruption which has resulted in the destruction of the province during the last 10 years,” he added.

However, Dr Baloch said he was not aware of any inquiries by the National Accountability Bureau against his predecessor, Nawab Aslam Raisani, his cabinet members, legislators and or any government official.

<  Express Tribune >

Baloch in Punjab: Latif Khosa, Governor Punjab

Sardar Muhammad Latif Khosa is the Governor of Punjab, and a politician representing Pakistan People's Party.

A former senator and a former Attorney General of Pakistan, Latif Khosa was appointed as the Governor of Punjab by the President of Pakistan after the murder of late-Governor Salman Taseer on 11 January 2011

 He was appointed the Attorney General on 19 August 2008, remained at this post till10 October 2009.

He has also served as Advisor of Information Technology of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

Latif Khosa is a cousin of the former Governor Sirdar Zulfiqar Khosa, former Chief Minister Dost Mohammad Khosa, Inspector General Police Tariq Khosa, Chief Secretary Nasir Khosa

Daily Times Editorial on ‘Balochistan Issue & its Solution’

On Saturday, A National Conference organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in Islamabad on "Balochistan Issue and Its solution,"
Speakers at a conference called for urgent measures for the resolution of the Balochistan issue and to remove the sense of deprivation among the residents of the province.

Daily Times Editorial:


The national conference in Islamabad on the ‘Balochistan Issue and its Solution’ called by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and attended by the leadership of all the political parties has unanimously adopted a 15-point Balochistan Declaration.

The sputtering insurgency in the province that began in 2002 received an extraordinary fillip when Nawab Akbar Bugti was cruelly assassinated in 2006. Since then, the province has been gripped by extensive turmoil. The policy of extermination of the intelligentsia and political workers of the nationalist parties has led to some 500 killed so far. This policy of repression amounting to a slow genocide has only led to increased embitterment of the people of the province and stoked separatist sentiment to the point where association with the state of Pakistan has become a virtual anathema to most people in Balochistan. The Declaration seeks to address this grave situation. It emphasises that a military operation (the fifth in Balochistan since independence) can only exacerbate the problems of the province as experience and the current situation shows. What is critically needed is a political dialogue in order to bring the Baloch back into the mainstream from which they have never been as alienated as today. The hated Frontier Corps (FC), blamed for most if not all of the kidnappings, torture and dumping of dead bodies of dissidents, as well as the military (including the ISI and MI) should be withdrawn, all political prisoners and missing persons released, Bugti’s killers brought to justice, as the minimum conditions for paving the path to a dialogue.

The conference suggested an inter-parliamentary committee be set up to issue a white paper on the Balochistan issue, an inquiry commission be created to look into the disappearances and other problems of the province, compensation be paid to all those killed or disabled.

The Declaration emphasised the need for a new contract with the people of Balochistan to take stakeholders on board with regard to their demands, policies and development. That includes the right of the people of Balochistan over their own natural resources. In a pointed critique of the ground realities, the Declaration asserted that the “politics of the garrison” be replaced by civilian authorities genuinely representing the will of the people of Balochistan.

This is a swipe not only at the military and its paramilitary and intelligence wings riding roughshod over civilian authority in the province, but also a reflection of the by now widely acknowledged truth that neither the provincial Balochistan government nor the federal government have any say in the manner in which things are handled in the province. It also reflects the growing perception that the present elected government of Chief Minister Aslam Raisani is unrepresentative, partly because the genuine nationalist leadership of the province boycotted the 2008 elections in protest at Musharraf’s cruelties, partly because Raisani’s administration is all but non-functional.

The Declaration underlines the need for retraining the FC and police to respect the human rights of the people of the province, and the FC “strictly prohibited” from transgressing its scope. Political parties are advised to play a proactive role in promoting a democratic culture. They should consider signing another Charter of Democracy to gain the confidence of the people and play a leading role in resolving the problems of Balochistan rather than remaining resigned to the status quo.

A genuinely neutral electoral mechanism has been called for, while religious leaders are advised to create a culture of tolerance and harmony. Settlers in the province of long standing and all other communities regardless of ethnic, cultural or religious background deserve equal protection and rights, the Declaration states.

The heartening consensus at the SCBA conference both reflects the sinking in of the bitter truths about Balochistan into the consciousness of political and civil society, as well as their worry that the mistakes of the past in trying to resolve political issues through military force are being repeated. If this consensus manages to restrain the military and its wings from pursuing this course any further, the chances of the opening of a dialogue with the estranged Baloch people can be improved. If not, we should be prepared for another catastrophe that could overtake the country a la 197

<Daily Times>

"Mustehkam Pakistan" Rally in Quetta

 Mer Siraj Khan Raisani Addressing the event

In Pictures: Political Activities in Balochistan,Date:27-April

Jamat-e-Islami gathering in Loralai

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Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Conference in Quetta

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PPP women Wing gathering in favour of Prime Minsiter Gilani

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Ijaz Ul Haq,PML-Z(Zia) press conference in Quetta

Difa-e-Pakistan Council public gathering in Quetta

Balochistan times does not support any political party or organization view, In "Activities in Balochistan" we cover political parties and other activities in Balochistan.

 Difa-e-Pakistan leaders at Quetta Gathering

Quetta—Difa e Pakistan Council on Thursday announced to play its active role on all national issues, saying that the parliament and all political parties had failed to defend the country. The DPC leadership also announced to effectively end target killing incidents and sectarian strife in Balochistan. 

Addressing a public gathering in Sadiq Shaheed ground, chairman of DPC Maulana Samiul Haq said that defending country’s borders was the responsibility of armed forces, parliament and Supreme Court but the Court had failed to take notice of Salala checkpost attack, while parliament was discussing re-opening of NATO supply lines.

The military was silent over the scenario, therefore, the DCP has decided to take the nation along with it and defend the country against all foreign threats, he added. Expressing his resolve, Maulana Sami said that they would fully protect rights of the people of Balochistan and expose all conspiracies. 

“The DPC’s objective is to take the country out of the war of foreigners,” he said and warned that in case of restoration of NATO supply lines, they would launch a long march. Amir of Jamat i Islami Syed Munawar Hassan said that native of this province had prepared themselves for long 

struggle and the enemies should realize that their machinations would not succeed.

Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, chief of Jammatud Dawah, said that India was luring US to attack Pakistan which required the national harmony and unity. He declared that national unity was the weapon with which enemies of Pakistan could be defeated.

He cautioned that if India was allowed to use Pakistan as leeway for her trade, she would employ every tactics to destabilise Pakistan. Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhyanvi, president of Ahle Sunnat wal Jammat, said that they would protect Balochistan by sacrificing their lives.

Amir of Jammiat Ulema Islam Nazriati Maulana Asmatullah criticized the government for its policies and said that these had brought the entire country on verge of collapse.—INP

<Pakistan observer>

"Daily Duniya Quetta" Report on PTI Balochistan Jalsa

Covering of this news in Balochistan Times  does not mean that we agree with Imran Khan views on Balochistan issue. 

Imran Khan about Quetta Jalsa:

We hope that other National Parties will soon arrange their gatherings in Quetta and other part of Balochistan.

In Pictures :PTI Preparations for 20Th April Quetta Jalsa

Balochistan times does not support any political party views, In "Activities in Balochistan" we cover other political parties & other activities in Balochistan. On 20th april, PTI is hoping for a big Jalsa at Quetta,in picture you see the preparation of PTI for this jalsa.