In an exclusive interview with the Nawa-i-Waqt on Tuesday, Nawabzada Talal Bugti, son of Nawab Akbar Bugti and leader of the Jamhouri Watan Party (JWP), has made the startling revelation that the PPP is contriving to create an artificial leadership in Balochistan that is indirectly responsible for the chaotic law and order situation prevailing there. He alleges that Interior Minister Rehman Malik has been given the mandate to execute this plan with the ultimate aim of winning the forthcoming general elections for the party. The JWP leader also levels the charge that corruption of billions of rupees is being encouraged for the purposes of spending the amount on securing favourable results from the general elections. He demanded that Musharraf and some of his senior lieutenants be brought back to stand trial. He felt that though, generally speaking, it is the responsibility of all the Pakistanis to play their part in remedying the situation in Balochistan, it falls principally on Punjab to ensure that things are set right. Talal Bugti seems to be so sure of India’s involvement in disturbing the peace in Balochistan that he has warned Punjab to “open its eyes” lest India should turn to it and play a similar role there as well.As son of the soil who should have the feel not only of the sentiments of the local population, but also understanding of the root causes of the trouble, his views cannot be ignored; rather, they merit serious consideration if the situation is to be retrieved and normalcy restored. If Talal Bugti’s assessment of PPP’s machinations in the province is true, it exposes a most sinister scheme of the main party of the ruling coalition to keep hold of the seat of power by hook or by crook. There seems to be little realisation that an all-out effort needs to be made to save the most strategically important and resource-rich province of the country that has been the victim of neglect of the federal as well as provincial government and, lately, of the designs of certain foreign players. Needless to say, this suicidal policy ought to be immediately reversed. The government’s top functionaries have more than once maintained that hostile powers are engaged in destabilising the province and Mr Bugti has only endorsed their views. It is time the issue was dealt with in its entirety and with commitment.