The government of Balochistan is still keen to negotiate with estranged Baloch leaders barring those with direct links with Indian spy agency RAW, and particularly Brahamdagh Bugti who is seeking political asylum in India, said provincial spokesperson for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Alauddin Kakar, PML-N's provincial secretary information, told Business Recorder that Balochistan government has never shut the doors of negotiations with those estranged Baloch leaders who "never played into the hands of enemies".
"But one thing is very clear, talks will never be held with those including Brahamdagh Bugti who have links with India's RAW," he said, adding the provincial government tried its level best to bring Bugti on the negotiation table but his conditions for the talks could not be met Brahamdagh Bugti in his response to the offer of talks with the provincial government demanded direct talks with Chief of Army Staff and the Prime Minister, and laid down other conditions.
"We held several telephonic conversations with Brahamdagh Bugti after he expressed readiness for talks but we finally concluded that he was not serious to engage in a meaningful dialogue," Kakar added. Brahamdagh Bugti, the grandson of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, and Baloch Republican Party (BRP) chief, recently filed an application with Indian mission in Switzerland for political asylum after Swiss authorities turned down his request for further refuge.
Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, commenting on Bugti's application for asylum to India said "while we have seen the media reports in this regard, such developments add to the fact that India is deeply involved in stirring up the situation in Balochistan through terror financing and perpetrating terrorism in Pakistan".
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday told media that the government, in the coming few days, would write to Interpol for extradition of Brahamdagh Bugti. To reconcile with estranged Baloch leaders, former chief minister Abdul Malik Baloch had sent a delegation to negotiate with the Khan of Kalat, Mir Suleman Dawood Jan, in London last year for his return to Pakistan.
The Khan of Kalat had left the country after a grand Jirga was held in Kalat in September 2006 following the killing of senior Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in a military operation during the Musharraf regime. However, efforts were suspended following PML-N provincial president Nawab Sanaullah Zehri replacing Abdul Malik Baloch in December 2015.
Talking to Business Recorder, Jan Achackzai, PML-N leader from Balochistan, said that talks can be held only with those Baloch leaders who have played into the hands of enemies. He said that after the 18th amendment certain things were devolved to the province and the provincial government made an attempt to negotiate with all exiled Baloch leaders.
However, he added that the situation changed dramatically after the arrest of Indian RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadev and talks cannot be held with elements involved in hostile and subversive activities against the country.
In the past, several attempts were made to alleviate sense of deprivation of the people of Balochistan through different political and parliamentary committees including the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package announced by the former PPP government.
But implementation on the proposals and the package was not significant and parliamentarians from the province have always pointed out the lack of seriousness of the federal government to effectively implement these packages to resolve the concerns of the people of the province.
