PPP urges ‘sincere and just' solution of Balochistan issue

ISLAMABAD: The pro-government Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) called for a “sincere and just” political solution of the Balochistan issue in its executive committee meeting held on Tuesday.

PPP supported the government’s economic policies and lauded the efforts of the parliamentary committee on Balochistan for the amicable resolution of the issues that led to unrest in the province.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, who is also the president of the party, told reporters that no one had the right to take the law in their own hands, while forces deployed in Sui had the right to retaliate if attacked.

Rao Sikandar Iqbal, defence minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Kashmir and Northern Areas minister, Dr Sher Afgan Niazi, parliamentary affairs minister, and Chaudhry Nauraiz Shakoor, science and technology minister, were also present on the occasion.

Mr Sherpao said the party supported holding the local government (LG) elections on a non-party basis and would jointly contest the elections with its coalition partners. With success in LG polls, he hoped the party would have an impact in the next general election.

The interior minister said that party secretary general Faisal Saleh Hayat’s name was not on the exit control list, and the party was taking note of developments on the issue. PPP members had staged a walkout in the National Assembly protesting a planned character assassination of the party office bearer.

The executive committee passed resolutions that supported the leadership of President General Pervez Musahrraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and called for continuing the policies of the government.

The party lauded the efforts of the government for improving relations with India and said the moves would benefit the endeavours for peace and the welfare of the people of South Asia.

Source: Daily Times