LAHORE – PML-N President Mian Nawaz Sharif and Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) leader Shahzain Bugti have once again demanded the arrest and trial of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for assassinating Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and recovery of all Baloch missing persons as a prerequisite to redress the sufferings of the people of Balochistan.
Shahzain, the grandson of the slain octogenarian Baloch leader Akbar Bugti, called on Nawaz at Raiwind on Friday. Both the leaders discussed in detail the ground realities and ways and means to address the issue in the interest of saving the federation and tackling the foreign interference.
Sources privy to the discussion claim that both sides agreed to the make joint efforts to ensure the rights of the Baloch people. The PML-N decided to respect aspirations of the Baloch people in the development and administrative matters by giving maximum representation to them.
During the meeting, Shahzain shared eight proposals for a lasting peace in Balochistan and to win the confidence of Baloch people. Besides Musharraf’s trial and recovery of the missing persons, Shahzain called for immediate end to the military operation in the province and the no-go area status given to Dera Bugti besides exemplary punishment to the killers of the Akbar Bugti’s granddaughter and her daughter and exposing the persons of secret agencies involved in the gruesome incident.
The demands also call for ending the role of secret agencies in Balochistan and the killing and dumping of Baloch missing persons’ bodies. Another important point is of eliminating the military garrisons built by Musharraf regime in Dera Bugti, Kohlu and Gwadar without any further delay.
Nawaz reiterated strict punishment to the killers of Akbar Bugti and recovery of the missing persons were the core issues to resolve the Balochistan problem, adding that the two demands were a prerequisite for taking part in the All Parties Conference (APC) suggested by the federal government.
He said the present mess in Balochistan was a product of the dictatorial regimes, but the PPP-led government was also not sincere to address and resolve the issue.
“Balochs are equally patriotic and loyal to the country as anyone else and have equal rights on the resources like people from other provinces,” he said, adding that time had come to take stock of the ground facts and deal with the excesses perpetrated on the Baloch people in the past.
Nawaz said his party would continue to move every forum for the Baloch. Sources say the PML-N will maintain close contacts with the Baloch people and angry elements to hear their grievances and bring them in the mainstream. For this purpose, the top PML-N leaders will hold regular visits to the province in addition to making the party more active at the provincial level.