Govt to form parliamentary committee to end violence in Balochistan: CM Bugti

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that a parliamentary committee would be formed to deliberate on violence and insurgency in Balochistan with an aim to resolve the issue permanently.

He said the committee would be tasked to devise a consensus roadmap for the government to deal with the insurgency and terrorism in Balochistan and engage those disgruntled elements who wanted to shun violence.

Its recommendations would be forwarded to the Federal Government for taking effective measures to eradicate the menace from the province forever, he added.

Talking to journalists along with provincial ministers, he said the state would not allow anyone to resort to violence for their vested interests. The government, however, was ready to hold dialogue with the disgruntled people within the ambit of Constitution, he asserted.

“The committee will hold talks with the tribal notables and seek their suggestions as to how to improve law and order situation in Balochistan. In case of the failure of such exercise, the government will on its own decide the course of action to root out the menace.”

He reiterated that the issues being faced by Balochistan could be resolved with negotiations and the Parliament was ready to take lead in the fight against terrorism. However, the civil society, intelligentsia, tribal leaders and media would also have to play their roles in helping restore permanent peace in the province.

Bugti said that the Home Minister had been tasked to formulate a policy with the help of all law enforcement agencies for making roads and highways secure so that the people could travel on them with any fear.

The chief minister said his government had set a 60-point reforms agenda with the road-map for next three months for implementing a good governance model and providing relief to the masses.

All his cabinet members would initiate the work on the reforms agenda in health, education, livestock, food, agriculture and other sectors from tomorrow, he added.

Bugti said the commission established on missing persons had resolved 80 percent cases of disappearances in Balochistan. The foreign-funded elements were using the missing persons issue as a propaganda tool against the state institutions, he added.

He strongly condemned a terrorist attack on the election camp of PPP candidate Nassebullah Marri in Kohlu district.