Only tangible steps can resolve Balochistan issue: Altaf

Staff Report

KARACHI: Leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Altaf Hussain has said the federal government should take such tangible measures to resolve the Balochistan as can satisfy the Baloch people, otherwise talks between Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and Akbar Bugti are unlikely to give any positive result.

He was addressing MQM workers and leaders on the 21st founding day of the party at London on Saturday night.

The founding day was also attended by party activists from Pakistan, the US, Belgium, and other European countries. Acting convener of the MQM coordination committee Tariq Jawed, members of the coordination committee Mohammed Anwar, Tariq Mir, in charge of the coordination committee Pakistan Anwar Alam and joint in charge Abdul Haseeb also spoke on the occasion. “The establishment of Pakistan is divided as to how to sort out the issue of Balochistan, as one group favours peaceful resolution of the issue through dialogue with nationalist parties of the province and the other group, which commands more influence in the corridors of power, believes in crushing the voice of dissent by force,” he claimed.

Hussain warned the rulers to refrain from using force to resolve the Balochistan issue and continue the dialogue process with representatives and leaders of nationalist parties. He said the use of forces could pose grave dangers to the integrity of the country. He said Pakistan as a country could survive as a country only if complete autonomy was granted to the provinces.

Describing the construction of Gwadar port as a controversial issue, he said since the port was being built with the help of China, “it is objectionable to the Iran, India and US governments as they are averse to the control of China over the port.” “Punjab being the big brother should display generosity and open heartedness to three smaller provinces of Pakistan and refrain from snatching their rights,” he emphasised. He urged the government to ensure due rights of provinces in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award and not to make population the only criterion for the NFC award as it would be gross injustice.

“Most natural resources such as oil, gas and minerals are in Sindh and Balochistan and they benefit the entire country, but for distribution of financial resources only population is taken into account. This should not be done,” he said.

Referring to a report of a US-based organisation that in future control of the federal government would be restricted to only upper Punjab and Karachi, Hussain claimed in 1995 he had raised the lid from the conspiracy of greater Punjab that was aimed at separation of Karachi from Sindh. “The people of Sindh regard Karachi not only as capital of the province, but also an integral part of their motherland, so they would never allow separation of Karachi from Sindh,” he said.

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