• Dr Malik Baloch and ex-premier discuss major national, political issues
• PML-N chief vows to play his role in fostering peace, will visit province soon
• Deadlock persists in BNP-govt talks amid ongoing protest
LAHORE / QUETTA: PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has called for a “political solution” to the issues in Balochistan, vowing to play a key political and democratic role in fostering peace in the restive province.
Mr Sharif made this statement during a meeting with former Balochistan chief minister and National Party President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch at his Jati Umra residence on Wednesday, a day after army chief Gen Asim Munir assured foreign investors that Pakistan would provide robust security to protect their interest amid heightened unrest in the mineral-rich province.
Mr Sharif and Dr Baloch discussed the overall political situation in the country, especially Balochistan. The former PM said he would play his political and democratic role in promoting peace in Balochistan. “I will soon visit Balochistan to meet the [angry] people there. The issue of Balochistan is political and must be resolved through political means,” Mr Sharif was quoted by Dr Baloch as saying.
He said Mr Sharif assured that he would personally take interest in the matters of Balochistan. “I told Mr Sharif that his role is crucial given the current situation in Balochistan. We held an in-depth discussion on the political affairs of the province. There is an ongoing sit-in in Balochistan, and many people are imprisoned. Nawaz Sharif should play his part in resolving these issues,” the former CM said, adding that the elder Sharif agreed to play his role.
Dr Baloch was referring to the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) sit-in led by Sardar Akhtar Mengal against the arrest of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and activists, including Dr Mahrang Baloch, and police crackdown on their sit-in in Quetta.
Talking to reporters after the meeting in Lahore, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said that Dr Baloch shared his views and requested that Nawaz Sharif play an active role in resolving the issues of Balochistan.
“Nawaz Sharif assured that he would play his political and democratic role in promoting peace in Balochistan. When Nawaz Sharif was prime minister and Abdul Malik Baloch was CM Balochistan that era witnessed development. Unfortunately, democracy was disrupted that led to the current situation,” Mr Rafique said, adding that Mr Sharif had assured that he would personally take interest in resolving the Balochistan issues.
Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi, who attended the meeting, later issued a statement saying that various issues related to Balochistan, including the complex political and law and order situation, were discussed in detail. Dr Malik Baloch, who led the NP delegation, also raised concerns with Mr Sharif regarding the BNP-M’s ongoing protest sit-in in Mastung district, political instability, slow development progress, and the arrests of Mahrang Baloch and numerous other political activists. “Major national and political issues were also discussed,” Mr Buledi said in the statement.
