Nawaz Sharif calls for punishing Bugti murderers, release of missing persons

By Malik Siraj Akbar

QUETTA: Former prime minister of Pakistan and the chief of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif said on Monday that the settlement of Balochistan issue was intertwined with punishing the murderers of Nawab Akbar Bugti and immediately releasing all the missing persons.

He was speaking at a news conference during his two-day long visit to Quetta which was his first trip in a period of twelve years to Balochistan. He was accompanied by Balochistan president of the PML-N Sardar Yaqoob Nasir Khan, PML secretary information Ahsan Iqbal, Jangiz Marri and others.

Sharif said Pervez Musharraf had killed Nawab Bugti out of personal grudge and frustration. Otherwise, Bugti was a patriotic Pakistani who adhered to the constitution of Pakistan throughout his life. He was a man who would be willing to sacrifice his life for the interests of Pakistan but he was brutally killed by the former military dictator. The problem in Balochistan is unlikely to be settled by mere void pledges.

“This is the time practical measures were taken to regain the confidence and trust of the Balochs. We are willing to approach all the enraged Baloch leaders in order to bring them in the national mainstream,” said Sharif who complimented Prime Minister Gillani’s efforts to resolve the Balochistan dispute by offering a comprehensive economic and administrative package to the country’s poorest province.

Recalling his days as the prime minister of the country, Sharif said he had always held Balochistan close to his heart. When he made up his mind to repeal the infamous 8th amendment, all Baloch leaders, including Nawab Bugti and Sardar Attaullah Mengal enthusiastically supported his decision.

“The Baloch leaders had some reservations and demands on some matters related to their province but they ignored those issues temporarily and gave first priority to the amendment against the 8th amendment,” he said, ” I am surprised why the same people have been annoyed to such an extend today who were once very close to the federation. We will try to approach all those disillusioned leaders and resolve their complaints.”

Sharif said Balochistan needed social, political and economic justice. There was no way to resolve the Baloch dispute until the murderers of Nawab Bugti, whether they lived inside our outside the country, were brought to justice as it was a major cause of anger among the Balochs. He also agreed with a journalist who reminded him about the growing number of cases of enforced disappearances that all the missing persons should be released at once.

“Not only have people from Balochistan gone missing but there are the people from other provinces as well who have been disappeared. All these people should be reproduced without any further delay,” he demanded.

Earlier, the former prime minister addressed the Organizing Committee of the Pakistan Muslim League on his arrival in Quetta at the residence of Sardar Yaqoob Nasir, the provincial chief of the party.

In his address at the organizing committee meeting, Sharif demanded that all the developmental projects underway in Balochistan should be completed quickly and every district of the province should be connected with the others by new paved roads.

He said it was firstly the right of the people of Balochistan to have control over their natural resources, especially the natural gas, and they should be the first beneficiary of these resources.

“We have to take revolutionary measures to save the country in the current circumstances. Old methods can not help to resolve the matters the country is facing at the moment. We want to strengthen the democratic process in the country. Democracy flourishes when corruption is abolished from the society. Corruption and democracy can not go side by side. Therefore, we are opposed to all forms of corruption at all levels,” he told the organizing committee meeting.

Sharif said Pervez Musharraf did not have the legal and constitutional mandate to kill Nawab Akbar Bugti. The confidence of the Baloch people could not be regained only by extending apologies. Efforts should be taken to put under trail the people responsible for killing Nawab Bugti, he recommended.

Sharif was provided full official protocol during his visit. Balochistan chief minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, provincial ministers, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Younas Mullazai and Sadiq Umrani welcomed him at the Quetta international airport.

Sharif called on Nawabzada Talal Akbar Bugti at Bugti House on Monday evening. Both the leaders exchanged views on regional politics.