Balochistan part and parcel of Pakistan: CM Bugti

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Sunday that Balochistan and Pakistan are essential to each other and cannot be separated.

Speaking on Samaa TV programme 'Meray Sawal with Absar Alam', CM Bugti said difficult and good times continue to come in a person’s life. He said that if he claimed the situation was completely normal, it would not be true.

The chief minister said he did not want to lie to his people, adding that there was concern across Pakistan about the situation in Balochistan.

He said state institutions, the Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police were protecting every inch of the province. He said an impression was being created that members of the provincial and national assemblies could not visit their areas, but this was not the reality.

Bugti criticised the policy of appeasement adopted by the 2018 government, saying no country in the world had succeeded by making compromises with terrorists. He said the banned groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), were given concessions in the past.

He said some individuals who were released later joined terrorist organisations again. Bugti said he once met Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and told him that such a policy was not correct.

He quoted Imran Khan as saying he was against war, and replied that a person could hold such views personally but not as a prime minister.

The chief minister said two people were responsible for the present situation in Balochistan. He said the policy of appeasement was followed by the PTI founder, while NATO had trained the Afghan Army for 30 years, but it failed to defend Kabul for even 30 hours.

He said American weapons became available in the black market and were later bought and provided to terrorists.

Bugti said governance in Balochistan had improved. He said a programme for clean drinking water had started for every union council and free clean water would be available within one year.

He said filtration plants would be installed in every union council. He added that 3,200 closed schools in Balochistan had been reopened and 16,000 teachers had been recruited.

The chief minister said 99.99 per cent of people were recruited on merit. He said some people had decided to live and die through violence.

Bugti said no deputy commissioner, district police officer or politician in Balochistan worked according to personal wishes. He added that many people remained confused about the province’s situation.

He said under the National Action Plan, the fight against terrorism carried out in the name of religion was necessary.