Exhausted by frequent accusations of kneeling down before terrorists in the restive Balochistan province, a top federal minister Tuesday questioned nationalist Baloch parliamentarians why they remained tight-lipped when national flag was being burnt by anti-state elements.
Winding the debate on two resolutions moved by Senators Wasim Sajjad and Raza Rabbani to mourn the tragic killing of former Baloch Senator Habib Jalib Baloch and Maula Buksh Dashti, Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik informed Senate that on the behest of their foreign masters, the militant fugitives in Balochistan have killed 252 settlers from other parts of the country from January to July 2.
He informed the House that the militias raised by some Baloch nationalist leaders, have killed three army officers, 2 FC personal, 29 cops, 26 settlers from Punjab, 21 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12 from Sindh and 112 from other parts of the country.
The minister said that parliamentarians from Balochistan never bothered to react when national flag was set on fire on their behest. I will show you the photographs of militants' nefarious activities in an in-camera briefing that how youth in Balochistan is being exploited by anti-state elements to undermine national stability, which is the main hindrance in undertaking development projects in the province, he maintained.
He said that nobody has the right to raise private militias, fighting terrorism is the duty of the government, which it is performing with full might to ensure security to its citizens and dealing the culprits with iron hands.
There is no concept of raising liberation army, lashkars and personal militias in political dispensations, he said. But contrary to the fact, four such outfits are operating in Balochistan, namely Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), run by Harbiyar Marri, Baloch Republican Army (BRA) of Nawab Akbar Bugti's grandson Brahmdagh Bugti, Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), headed by Dr Allah Nazar and Lashkar-e-Balochistan of Javed Mengal. They are being funded by foreign masters and are poised to destabilise the country disrupting peace in Balochistan, the hub of natural resources, he added.
Rehman Malik said that government is committed to dismantle these liberation armies and lashkars as they work against Pakistan army. Elimination of liberation forces, he added, is a must for the country's stability and peace.
He said that as a result of these anti-state elements as many 100,000 people have migrated from the province. Set a timeframe for an in-camera briefing and I will give the proof that how hell-bent they are to destabilise peace of the province, the minister said.
Regarding the assassination of political leaders, he said, pro-Pakistan leadership is being targeted by the militant outfits, who consider them as a threat to the fulfilment of their nefarious designs. Habib Jalib Balcoh was a pro-Pakistan leader. The government has already ordered a judicial probe into his tragic killing, report on which will be submitted to the house soon.
Hinting at involvement of Allah Nazar's group in killing of Maula Bakhsh Dashti, the minister said evidence on the matter would be provided during the in-camera briefing to the House.