Nawaz assures role in solving Balochistan crisis, former CM says

PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has assured that he will play a role in resolving Balochistan’s issues, National Party chief Abdul Malik Baloch said on Wednesday.

The former Balochistan chief minister made the claim in a media talk after a meeting between the two amid the tense security situation in the province, with several high-profile attacks within the last two months. Night travel has been banned across Balochistan due to deteriorating security, while three universities have been closed due to “security concerns”.

Additionally, protest movements have erupted across the province, with a large ongoing sit-in at Lakpass led by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) protesting a crackdown on Baloch rights activists.

Talking to the media in Lahore, Baloch said: “Mian sahib is one of the country’s senior-most politicians and we have a relationship with him. We have requested him to play a role and he has agreed to play a role in solving Balochistan’s issues, whether they are political or economic.”

The ex-CM assured that the people of Balochistan had put their hopes in Nawaz and his team to help resolve the ongoing crisis.

“Balochistan has been bleeding for two decades,” Baloch said. “Your role is essential in improving the situation in Balochistan. The people of Balochistan are hopeful that Nawaz Sharif will play a positive role in relieving economic and political issues.

Mentioning the BNP-M’s sit-in and the arrest of Baloch rights activists, Baloch said that he and Nawaz had a detailed discussion on the situation in the province and requested that he play a role in solving the crisis.

“We requested that he travel to Balochistan and spend a few days there, meeting with political leaders, so that we can resolve this issue amicably as we did in 2013,” Baloch added.

Expressing gratitude to Nawaz and senior PML-N leaders for welcoming the delegation, Baloch reiterated that the PML-N president’s role was essential in solving the crisis and requested that he play a role in securing the release of Baloch activists from jail.

He expressed hope that the Baloch people would not “live in isolation, but join hands with the people of Pakistan to resolve these issues”.

Fielding questions from reporters, Baloch said that Nawaz was invited to visit the province and that he had accepted the invitation.

In response to a question about the nature of the crisis, the former CM replied, “This is a political issue that requires a political solution”.

The PML-N uploaded a photograph of the two figures meeting, stating that “a detailed discussion was held on the overall national situation and matters pertaining to Balochistan.”

During the meeting, Baloch congratulated the former premier on his party’s work on curbing inflation and reducing electricity prices.

Meanwhile, the BNP-M’s ongoing sit-in against the detention of Baloch activists, led by party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, marked its 13th day.

Former senator Sanaullah Baloch told Dawn.com that the party’s long march had been stopped at the Lakpass area of Mastung, prompting them to stage the sit-in.

“Mengal had three meetings with Mir Zahoor Buledi, Bakht Kakar, Mir Obaid Gurgej and other officials in the government committee,” Baloch said. “Former Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani also had three meetings with Mengal, while provincial Education Minister Raheela Hameed Durrani and Deputy Speaker Ghazala Gola met him once.”

Addressing the sit-in, Mengal said that negotiations with the government failed and that bringing ministers to meet with him was “futile”.

“Our sit-in continues as no progress has been made by the government,” he said. “Despite contact with the central leadership of the PML-N and the federal government, no progress has been made yet and former Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani came in a personal capacity, he did not talk about ending the sit-in.”

Mengal remarked that this was “the first government in the world that has affected the people by closing roads”, adding that the demonstrators did not block any major arteries over the past 13 days.

“The government has closed the Quetta-Karachi National Highway for the past 13 days to stop the long march,” he said. “Due to the closure, the business community and travellers are facing major difficulties.”

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