Former Sindh Governor Lieutenant General Moinuddin Haider (Retd) on Wednesday claimed that there is no military operation in Balochistan and Frontier Constabulary was called for the assistance of police on the request of provincial government.
He was talking at a seminar 'Balochistan: Objective Debate', organised by Pildat. Speakers at the forum included senior journalist Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami, Ikram Sehgal, Defence Analyst, Senator Mir Hasil Biznejo, Balochistan, National Party, Senator Humayun Khan Mandokhel, Balochistan, Independent and Qamar Zaman Kaira, MNA, spokesperson, PPPP.
He said provincial government is blaming federation for unrest and not showing any interest in the development of Balochistan. It is wrong perception, he said, as governor, chief minister and other decision makers are Bloch nationals. It is their responsibility to initiate development projects in the province.
He alleged that India is financing terrorism in the province and all the anti-state elements enter the province from Afghanistan. There is law and order situation in four districts and rest of the province is in peace. Senator Humayun Khan Mndokhel said the performance of ruling party is evident from the fact that work on 30 percent projects has been initiated in four years. "Interior Minister Rehman Malik has lied on the media that Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan has been implemented 90 percent."
He said population break-up in Balochistan contains 45 percent Baloch and 45 percent Pashtun, but the province is almost entirely run by the Baloch people at the moment. Pashtuns have no quota in jobs. The government and agencies can resolve the issue of missing persons and bullet-ridden bodies, things can improve, said Senator Hasil Bizenjo. This is a pre-condition for dialogue. He said that youth in Balochistan can still be taken on board. He said the mindset in rest of Pakistan that Baloch is still a tribal society of the 1960s is deeply flawed. There is an educated class in Balochistan.
Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Punjab also needs to be respected like other provinces of Pakistan. Government has taken many initiatives. He said that media is up in arms, if the government suggests there should be a media-led Code of Conduct for media. He said that national security decisions can only be taken by the elected Government.
In his welcome remarks , Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Executive Director of PILDAT, said that despite 18th Amendment to the Constitution, the 7th NFC Award and the Aghaz-e-Haqooq Balochistan package that have granted unprecedented financial, political and administrative autonomy to Balochistan in line with the demands of the nationalist parties and forces, unrest and insurgency in Balochistan continued.
Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami said the dominant discourse on Balochistan these days is blaming Pakistan's military and security agencies for compounding the scenario in the province. There is a complete and total absence of a counter-narrative from the federal government and the Establishment.
Ikram Sehgal said the feudalism and democracy can not go hand in hand. Feudal mindset in Balochistan is its key problem. Throughout history and even today, most of the revenue that the province receives through federal transfers ends up with the tribal political leaders and chieftains who have used it on buying weapons and mustering the tribal bands.
Colonel Mashhadi (Retd) of the MQM said his party continues to stand for the rights of Balochistan. The province needs its due share and resources and dialogue is the way forward for improving Balochistan scenario. Dr Shahid Masood said that if media has shown interviews of Brahmdagh Bugti and Hyrbyiar Marri, it is not a crime.
Media needs to know their views and the government, civil society and eminent persons should jointly talk to them. Aasiya Riaz, Pildat Joint Director said that unbridled freedom without any ethics or responsibility can not be a media norm.
Comparative examples in recent history show that the BBC, for an entire decade beginning in 1988, did not broadcast direct statements by representatives or supporters of 11 Irish political and military organisations, especially the Sinn Féin. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had imposed a ban saying "starve the terrorists and the hijackers of the oxygen of publicity on which they depend."
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