MNA calls for fresh elections in Balochistan

Mumtaz Alvi
Sunday, November 06, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Nasir Ali Shah, a treasury bench legislator on Saturday called for fresh elections in Balochistan after the imposition of governor’s rule there, alleging the PPP-led coalition provincial government had miserably failed to deliver.

Adopting a unique way of protest against the provincial government, the lawmaker from Quetta linked his return to the National Assembly to the removal of the govt of Chief Minister Muhammad Aslam Raisani’s, whom he labelled as a king. He said that he sits outside parliament House, when the assembly is in session.

“Raisani is heading a province that faces multiple challenges, and on the top of all, is law and order and terrorism. But he spends most of his time in Islamabad. This shows how committed and serious he is towards provincial matters,” he said.

Shah also proposed to this correspondent to study the statements of the chief minister, which he had been issuing after the occurrence of terrorist acts in the province.

He expressed the resolve to continue his agitation as long as the incumbent set-up remained imposed on the troubled Balochistan province.

When asked if there was any positive signal from Islamabad in the wake of his boycott, he replied in the negative. However, he added Interior Minister A Rehman Malik recently paid a visit to Quetta, which he said was uncalled for.

“My demand is removal of the present provincial government, imposition of governor’s rule and holding of fresh election in Balochistan and I will stick to it. People are being killed and terrorists are free to get away with it, as and when it pleases them,” Shah lamented.

He strongly believed the only solution to fighting compounding problems in the province was to hold fresh elections. He pointed out Balochistan-based political parties had also started endorsing his demand and in this context, he referred to the Balochistan National Party’s stance.

Replying to a question whether it would be prudent to hold a provincial assembly election, when there was a talk of general elections sometime next year, he counter-questioned, “Should we let innocent people being killed till that time. There is a serious governance problem, which must be addressed through polls.”

He noted only the other day, eight mutilated bodies were found from interior Balochistan, whereas the situation in Quetta and elsewhere was also alarming.

Shah contended the killing of Hazara people has continued unabated since 2001 and it intensified in recent years but the provincial government lacked political will to take this challenge head on.

THE NEWS