‘100,000 settlers have migrated from Balochistan’

By Muhammad Anis

Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Malik says they are being killed in the province as four private armies are trying to break country


ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday said that four private armies headed by local Baloch, being used by some hidden hands, have taken up arms against the security forces and are active to break up the country with the support of external forces.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Rehman Malik once again emphatically said that an Indian hand was there behind the insurgency in Balochistan and questioned as to who is financing Brahamdag Bugti.

He was winding up a debate on two motions condoling the deaths of Qazi Abdul Latif and Habib Jalib Baloch which were moved by Leader of the Opposition Wasim Sajjad and Mian Raza Rabbani on Monday.

Rehman Malik said that there are blueprints of enemies who are energising the hostile elements active in Balochistan, Mohmand Agency, Swat and other troubled areas of the country. “I raised these issues with Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram and they will look into it and let us know about their position,” Malik said.

The minister told the House that settlers were being killed in Balochistan and so far over 100,000 people have migrated from the province. He said that militants belonging to the four private armies were burning Pakistani flags. They do not allow the hoisting of the Pak flag nor the national anthem to be recited in educational institutions while pro-Pakistan elements were falling victim to target killing.

He said hidden hands were definitely involved in the Balochistan unrest and he was sure that the Baloch people were being used by these hidden hands. He assured the Baloch senators of providing concrete evidence, including photographs, to prove that some Baloch were acting at the behest of some other forces who wanted to destabilize the country.

He said Maulla Buksh Dasti who was pro-Pakistani was killed by the Allah Nazir group which belongs to the Balochistan Liberation Front while a probe into the assassination of Habib Jalib Baloch was in progress. “It is not a struggle for rights rather it is rebellion against the sovereignty of Pakistan,” he said.

The minister, while naming four private armies, said they include the BLF, BRF, BLA and Lashkar-e-Balochistan. “These private armies are headed by local Baloch people and they are involved in violence and insurgency and target all those who talk about Pakistan,” he said.

The interior minister said Fateha should also be offered for soldiers who are sacrificing their lives in Balochistan. “Are they not Pakistanis?” he questioned. He said from January to July 13, this year 252 settlers including 13 officers of Pakistan Army, 21 officers of FC, 27 Police officials, 26 Punjabis, 21 Pashtoons, 12 Sindhis and 112 from other parts of country have died in target killings. “Balochistan is part of Pakistan, then why are settlers being killed there?” he questioned.

Emphasizing the role of Baloch political leadership, he said they also condemn those elements particularly private armies who are killing pro-Pakistan people and are up against security forces. “Why those who are killing patriotic Pakistanis and burning national flag are not condemned,” he regretted.Rehman Malik urged Balochs associated with the four private armies to pledge that they would not work against the country.

He also invited Baloch leaders to come and jointly hoist Pakistani flag across Balochistan and in return offered that they would get whatever they would demand. He said Balochistan is rich in minerals and natural resources and is future of Pakistan. “But, enemies of Pakistan are inclined to hamper our progress. They are against development of our people.”

He called upon political parties and their leadership to help the government in hammering out a solution to the problem and not to indulge in point scoring on this issue. “All these private armies should be banned as we cannot tolerate such forces,” he said.

He maintained that Taliban were never well wishers of Islam and Pakistan and they should repent and apologise to the nation. Rehman Malik informed the House that so far over 1,000 foreign militants including Arabs, Uzbek and Nooristanis who entered from Afghanistan, have been arrested.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30335