Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday evening said that he had called on Baloch nationalist leader Heerbiar Marri in London and talked with another leader Brahmdagh Bugti adding but the two did not give a positive response to the federal government's effort to maintain peace in Balochistan through talks.
Addressing a press briefing along with Balochistan Home Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Zehri, Mir Younas Mullazai and Home Secretary Captain Akbar Hussain Durrani (Retd) at Chief Minister Secretariat here, he said that he had invited nationalist Baloch leaders to hold negotiations with the government to maintain peace in the province. He said the government was ready to accept all legitimate demands of the nationalist Baloch leaders, but they did not responded what he said positively. He maintained the government was once again inviting nationalist Baloch leadership to come forward to hold talks so that peace could be secured in the province.
He regretted that Baloch nationalist leaders were continually avoiding table talks despite President Asif Ali Zardari had apologised with them over atrocities committed by Musharraf regime. He maintained that several FC and Coastguard check posts had been abolished, thousands of people had been given jobs under Aghaz-i-Huqooq-i-Balochistan Package and the province had got due share in National Finance Commission Award.
He opined that Balochistan would gain great prosperity if the nationalists joined the mainstream and avoided targeted killing of innocent people. "All rights of Baloch people will be given besides acceptance of all legitimate demands but first of all their nationalist leadership will have to leave shed extremism and inflexible attitude, Malik said. He alleged that foreign money was being used to create anarchy in Balochistan and external forces were involved in deteriorating law and order in the province.