Situation in the troubled Bugti-Sui area has returned to normal, interior minister Aftab Sherpao said on Monday, but warned there would be no reconciliation with leaders of miscreants.
"Except for a small portion in Kohlu and Mand things have normalised. Miscreants there are surrounded and are being flushed out," he said, winding up the three-day debate in the Senate on an adjournment motion about alleged kidnappings of brothers of senators Shahid Bugti and Sanaullah Baloch.
"In Bugti-Sui area schools have opened, government offices are functioning, Hindu population has returned, and so have come back to their soil some displaced Kalpars and Masooris," Sherpao said and added, "the peace has returned...Go there and see for yourself."
But the opposition was less enthusiastic. Objecting to Sherpao's "skirting the main issue of kidnappings" leader of the opposition Raza Rabbani led his side out of the chamber on a walkout.
Raza Rabbani, who got the floor even after the minister had made a policy statement curtsey to deputy chairman Jan Jamali, said during the debate opposition members had raised at least six important points, including disappearances of more than 30 persons but the minister made no mention of them.
Sherpao had opened his speech on the note that while the present government has committed about Rs 140 billion for the development of Balochistan, some "waderas" are opposed to it. In contrast, however, the entire Balochistan assembly is on board and that irrespective of their party lines its members are supportive of the development projects.
To the point earlier raised during the debate that indiscriminate firepower and helicopter gunships were used during the operation, the minister said what would you do "if law-enforcement agencies are targeted with SAMs and other missiles. These had to be encountered". Weapons recovered from miscreants include all types of rockets and explosives, he added.
"From where these arms and money comes from...Some people want to destabilise that area and put out of action vital installations. But he did not go into any details.
The government is committed to protecting installations, he said, adding so the operation would continue. "Whenever the law-enforcement agencies would be fired upon we would react."
Sherpao also rejected the assertion that the military action led to serious violation of people's fundamental rights. How come the fundamental rights of those are being talked of who planted landmines, stripped naked fellow sardars, targeted settlers, assassinated the principal of a college in Mastung, and killed Chinese workers.
"We want to assure the house we want peace and development in Balochistan, but those who want to disrupt the government would be taken to task. That is the function of the government...Warlords wanted to create state within a state. That cannot be allowed," the minister said.
Rejecting the assertion that mega projects are "colonial expansion", Aftab Sherpao said development is the buzzword in Balochistan, so much so that a minister belonging to an opposition party in the centre said the other day that his province needed development and also cantonments.
The interior minister said the proposition that the government should effect reconciliation with hostile sardars is not acceptable.
"We cannot have a dialogue with the people who started terrorism. (Instead) we would have dialogue with the general public."
Sherpao said investment in Balochistan is on the rise, quoting reactivation of coalmines as a case in point.
He also contested the claim that consequent to the military action in Balochistan thousands are in jails.
"There is no such thing. Not thousands are missing," he said, informing the Senate only 26 persons are being held and they are free to go to the court.