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Bizenjo alleges: Balochistan being run by ISI

Posted on: Tue February 21, 2012

ISLAMABAD:Prominent Baloch nationalist leader Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo here on Monday said Balochistan was being run by Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for all practical purposes for the last 15 years with no civilian control over governance in the volatile province.

He rejected Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani"s claim that Army was not involved in the disappearance of people and murder of activists whose decomposed bodies are found dumped at desolate places. "What about the 50,000 FC personnel deployed in the province," he questioned and pointed out that the FC units were under Army officers in every tehsil.

Speaking at a roundtable on the situation in Balochistan arranged by Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), he said the first bullet-riddled body in Balochistan was found days after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told a joint session of the parliament that all missing persons would start reaching their homes in 10 days. "Since that day the number of such killings has gone to around 360."

He was also sceptical of Army"s role in education in Balochistan. "Why are you doing this; this is not your job. This merely shows your control on all spheres of life in the province," he remarked.

He said it was an undeniable fact that the voices of independence were gaining momentum in the province with the active involvement of the youth. Denial of socio-economic rights is the main reason for this and addressing the root cause is inevitable to arrest the deteriorating situation before it is too late. He, however, made it clear that his philosophy was different from the separatists as he was all for integration rather than divisions. Mr Bizenjo said the episode of abductions and bullet-riddled bodies must stop and the executive should exercise its powers of governance encompassing the foreign policy. He was of the view that only democracy had the potential to contain the crisis brewing in the neglected province.

The resolution adopted by US Congress on Balochistan"s independence also remained a subject of hot discussion during the roundtable, drawing criticism against the US for meddling in internal affairs of Pakistan.

Adnan Aurangzeb, a former member of National Assembly and son of former Balochistan Governor Miangul Aurangzeb, dispelled the impression the US was trying to give that the resolution did not reflect its official policy. He said each US congressman and senator had a staff having expertise in different areas, primarily in foreign policy. "He has to rely on resource received through the US State Department."

He said both the governor and chief minister of Balochistan were Nawabs and all the members of the provincial assembly were in the government. "In the absence of the opposition, there is nobody to stand up for the rights of the people," he remarked.

The executive director CRSS, Imtiaz Gul, referred to a statement by Balochistan"s home minister that there was a nexus between politicians and criminal gangs. A CRSS report titled "Balochistan"s maze of violence" was also launched on the occasion.

Courtesy: DAWN