Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has invited the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) to negotiations, stating that the entire system of Balochistan cannot be handed over to any group.
“Peaceful protest is the right of all, but blocking roads and causing public suffering, as well as violence against the police, will not be tolerated,” he said while addressing the Balochistan Assembly on Friday.
His offer comes as the BYC supporters from across the province gather for Baloch Raaji Muchi, also known as Baloch National Gathering. The group is scheduled to hold the event in Gwadar on Sunday.
The BYC, led by Mahrang Baloch, has been protesting against the alleged enforced disappearances, killings in accidents, and security operations.
“We are facing two challenges of law and order. Firstly, the writ of state got weakened by which crime rate increased,” Bugti said.
He called for depoliticising the police. “Let’s do this for at least six months,” Bugti said and added that no politician would ask for personal appointments.
Bugti told the lawmakers the killers of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and the president of the Press Club in Khuzdar have been arrested. He hoped that the courts would punish the killers.
“The bigger challenge I think is terrorism. There are three prongs because of which a RAW-driven intelligence war started against us. The common Baloch are being made informants and Punjabis are being killed by being dragged out of their vehicles. Organised terrorism is being carried out through social media to create discord between the public and the army,” the Baloch CM said.
He went on to add that so-called disgruntled Baloch nationals killed more than 4,000 civilians. “This is a big challenge,” the CM said and called for a special session to discuss the matter.
Bugti described Pakistan’s Army as the country’s nucleus, saying that around 28,000 soldiers from Balochistan were serving the army.
He went on to add that social manoeuvring was being done in the province and named some “legitimate voices” of terrorist and separatist organisations. “They are being sent on the streets and they provoke the police,” Bugti said and added that the government would not take action against citizens.
He added that the civil administration recently talked to the BYC in Sariab when they blocked the roads. “The entire system of Balochistan cannot be handed over to any group, as the government system runs in the Red Zone and those wanting to protest are allocated the Hockey Chowk area.”
While reacting to the July 28 date for protest in Gwadar, he claimed that the port city was chosen when the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corrdior was about to begin there.
“I want to say that we have intelligence reports that there are serious threats that the BLA wants to carry out a suicide attack targeting the rally in Gwadar,” he said and added that the provincial government urged the protesters to change the venue.
“We several times held negotiations with the BYC to change to the venue as Gwadar is an international city. The BYC will be facilitated to hold rallies anywhere except Gwadar and the roads of Balochistan will not be allowed to be blocked as this is a war that the government, army and all must fight together. The Baloch are free and do not need any further freedom,” Bugti said.
