News
Monday, June 17, 2013
Centre offers to handle security in Balochistan
* Nisar reiterates need for dialogue with terrorists but rules out negotiations with elements who carried out attacks on women and hospitals
Staff Report
QUETTA: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday said the federal government would extend full collaboration to the Balochistan government to secure peace in province.
Chaudhry Nisar said a hidden war was continuing in Balochistan and all stakeholders would have to play a joint role for curbing militancy and restoring peace in the province. The interior minister and Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rasheed on Sunday visited the Quaid-i-Azam Residency in Ziarat and vowed to re-build it within three to four months. Talking to media on the occasion, Chaudhry Nisar said that the Residency is a national asset and announced that a plan would be chalked out to provide maximum security to historical places in the future.
Later, chairing a meeting in Quetta over the law and order situation in Balochistan, Chaudhry Nisar said that crucial decisions were taken by the government to cope with the terrorist acts and they would be announced later after the approval from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “Negotiations would be held with those who are prepared to talk and those who are persistent on terrorist activities would be dealt with through other means,” said the interior minister. He also announced to award Tamgha-i-Jurat to the late Quetta Deputy Commissioner Mansoor Kakar, FC personnel, policemen, doctors and nurses, saying that they had rendered sacrifices for the country. Nisar noted that women and children were never attacked in Baloch and Pashtun societies even during the biggest of conflicts, and wondered what kind of men carried out Saturday’s attacks.
The interior minister said that the federal government had taken notice of unpleasant incidents in Quetta and Ziarat much seriously, and therefore they were in Balochistan on the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “We are here to condole with the aggrieved families and to make an estimation of the losses,” he said and added that they would always stand by the people during adverse times and extend all sorts of support. “We are prepared to face any tough times and our government has the strength to meet these challenges,” claimed the interior minister.
He said that it was highly regrettable that despite belonging to the same creed such incidents were happening. “No religion allows the killing of women and children in the biggest of all conflicts in the world,” he added. Chaudhry Nisar said that no likeness could be found of the incidents of Quetta and Ziarat in any civilised society of the world. He said that the primary objective of his government was to establish peace in Centre, Balochistan, Punjab and the entire country.
“We stand by our stance even today that the solution of all the issues can be found though negotiations,” he said and added that they would negotiate only with those people who were willing to hold talks. He also appealed to the media to avoid airing news that was detrimental to the integrity of the country. Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his constant contact with him during the incident.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk
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