The 15-member parliamentary delegation fears that another confrontation of a greater magnitude between the Frontier Corps and tribesmen can erupt any time at Dera Bugti in case the 'ominous situation' was not immediately defused. In interviews with Business Recorder after their visit to Dera Bugti and Sui, the lawmakers, including two lady MNAs, pleaded for prompt withdrawal of the security forces and the armed men from their present position of eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation.
The opposition MNAs alleged that the FC personnel had overreacted to the killing of their four men at Sahansa intersection on March 17, some 40 kilometre away from Dera Bugti, and targeted thickly populated areas in Dera.
They vehemently opposed military action to end the stand-off, saying it would spell serious repercussions and the things might go out of the government's control.
The lawmakers said they would apprise the National Assembly and the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan of their assessment of the situation on Thursday.
Mehnaz Rafi, who along with State Minister M A Durrani and Senators Nisar A Memon and MP Bhandara represented the government side during the visit, said that it was not the time to apportion blames, but the real point is that the FC and tribesmen should retreat from their present positions.
Mehnaz said that all along the road from Dera Bugti to Sui, she saw the FC personnel and the local tribesmen entrenched with weapons, targeting each other.
The lady MNA said that all markets and schools in Dera Bugti were closed and the locality presented a deserted look, except for the rival groups on roads and at hills.
Thousands of students could not appear for their matriculation exams due to the closure of schools for the last three months. "Who will make up for their precious time loss?" she lamented.
Mehnaz Rafi called for settlement of the crisis through dialogue. She demanded of the government to take immediate measures to help alleviate sufferings of the common men in Dera Bugti and elsewhere in the province.
Pakistan Peoples' Party Parliamentarians MNA, Sherry Rehman, was particularly perturbed over the prevailing tension that has caused large-scale exodus.
Sherry Rehman said that she herself saw marks of rockets and mortars on the residence and 'hujra' of Akbar Khan Bugti, as taking advantage of being female, she was allowed inside the home where she met some women members of the family, a few of them were injured.
The MNA said that Nawab Bugti angrily reacted, when he was told about the ruling party MNAs arrival, by saying, "I will not meet the representatives of our killers."
"Any misunderstanding from each side can convert into a fire ball, leading to very serious situation," she cautioned.
Sherry Rehman questioned the rationale behind unleashing attacks on houses in Dera Bugti in reaction to the clash between the FC and tribesmen on March 17, which took place quite some distance away.
She demanded of the government to withdraw the army from the province, in order to improve the environment in Dera Bugti for dialogue.
The MNA opposed seeking military solution to the issue, warning that important installations were vulnerable and could be destroyed in no time by two or three persons.
"The rulers must take stock of the ground realities and hold sustained talks with Baloch leaders before it is too late," she contended.
The PPPP MNA noted a sense of alienation among the local population in Dera Bugti and Sui, and called for their integration as other citizens of the country.
She also contested the official version about the civilian casualties at Dera Bugti.
Former federal minister and PPPP leader Syed Naveed Qamar urged the government to accelerate the pace of dialogue to defuse the 'exceedingly tense situation'.
He was of the view that the government had overreacted to the last week's bloody clash and used heavy weapons against the innocent locals.
The opposition MNA called for the need to change the mindset of the local population and bringing them out of the frame of mind that they are third-rated citizens of Pakistan. "Their basic needs must be met," he added.
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