Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the head of Pakistan Awami Qiyadat Party (PAQP) Mirza Aslam Beg has stressed the need for crushing the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which was equipped with modern arms and ammunition and had also set up 20 posts in the province. While talking to newsmen after addressing a seminar on 'Struggle for Unity of Ummah' here on Wednesday, Beg opposed the Pakistan Army's direct operation in Balochistan and said the army should provide help to police, Balochistan Scouts and other law enforcing agencies in the province.
"The BLA militants are frequently using multi-barrel rocket launchers and hitting rails and railways lines, which is a condemnable act on their part. The militancy in Balochistan is a threat to solidarity of the country and it would appropriate, if BLA voluntarily quits its posts, otherwise administrative measures must be taken", he added.
Due to rapid changes in the socio-political situation, tribal system was about to finish and tribal leaders were struggling for the survival of system in Balochistan, he added. However, as a result of political approach of the Balochi leaders, the government reversed its decision to launch operation in Balochistan, which was a good omen for the country. The political measures had averted the army action in the province, he maintained.
Beg further said army actions during the regimes of Ayub Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had deteriorated the law and order situation in Balochistan, therefore, the present government should avoid using that option.
'Neither India nor America is happy over the ongoing developmental works in Balochistan, particularly, construction of Gwadar port and coastal highway in collaboration with long-tested friend China. There is possibility regarding involvement of some foreign hands in creating law and order situation in Balochistan, which is against the economic stability of the province and country as well', he added.
To a question regarding the possibility of US attack on Iran, Aslam Beg said America had already been trapped in Afghanistan and Iraq, therefore, it could not afford another front by attacking Iran. As far as Israel's attack was concerned, it would also not dare to attack on Iran, as she knew the defense capability of Iran whose missile could hit Tel Aviv. About 15 years ago, Israel wanted to attack Pakistan's nuclear installations but due to our nuclear capability, it had to give up the attack plan, he maintained.
Earlier, addressing the seminar, Aslam Beg suggested that on the pattern of European Union, three-four Islamic countries, which had common borders, should forge economic unity at initial stage and later those countries, be brought under the central command.
Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML -N) General Secretary Khawaja Saad Rafiq said on the occasion General Pervez Musharraf and his allies had pushed the country into swamp, therefore, they must forge unity for the sake of Islam. The political governments, due to frequent intervention of army generals, failed in running the government affairs, he added.
Former federal minister Haji Muhammad Hanif Tayyab, Dr Sarfraz Naeemi and Sahibzada Sultan Muhammad Ali in their speeches called for forging unity among the Islamic Ummah to face the challenges.