20 April, 2012
QUETTA: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday federal and provincial governments had completely failed to address Balochistan issues, particularly the law and order situation in the province.
Addressing a meeting at Imambargah Nechari in Quetta via telephone, the PML-N chief said, "Atrocities in Balochistan have exceeded all limits."
"The government has become apathetic and unresponsive to the situation in Balochistan," he said, adding that there should not be any delay in acting against a "handful" of extremists.
The former prime minister expressed his resentment to the unabated sectarian killing of members of the Hazara community.
"The government should have taken action against terrorists disturbing peace in Quetta," he said, adding that it was a conspiracy to divide people on ethnic and sectarian grounds. He said responsibility lied on all people and political parties to play their role and frustrate this conspiracy.
Nawaz Sharif said the PML-N would make all possible efforts to resolve issues facing Balochistan.
Separately, PML-N leader Marvi Memon held a meeting with members of the Hazara community and expressed her grief and sorrow over the recent killings of Shias.
Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen General Secretary Maqsood Domki and leaders of the Shia Conference told Memon that more than 800 Hazaras had so far fallen victims to sectarian killings.
"The provincial government has completely failed to counter these senseless killings," they told the PML-N leader. They also called for the Governor's Rule in the province "since the administration has failed to overcome the menace of target killings".
Shia leader Ashraf Zaidi said it was failure of the government that terrorists from banned outfits escaped from prisons and not arrested again. "The Hazara community has raised its concern against target killings in Islamabad but it received a lukewarm response from rulers."
PML-N tables motion against Balochistan killings
ISLAMABAD: Opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday submitted an adjournment motion in the National Assembly over the unabated spree of target killings, especially of the Hazara community, in Balochistan.
The PML-N, expressing serious concern over the killings, called for adjourning of the proceedings of the House when it meets, to take into consideration the violence in Balochistan as a matter of urgent public importance.
The National Assembly is expected to hold next week its first session of the new parliamentary year, where the PML-N is likely to raise the issue strongly. The adjournment motion of the party said that killings of innocent people, particularly the Hazara community, and the complete failure of the government to protect the life and property of the people of the province had sent a wave of concern across the country.
"This act of killing innocent people has caused a wave of resentment among the public," the motion pointed out, demanding the issue be discussed in the House. The adjournment motion was moved jointly by 20 lawmakers in the Lower House.
However, the main movers were PML-N lawmakers from Balochistn Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch and Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir. Both the parliamentarians have raised the issue of deteriorating situation in Balochistan time and again in the assembly.
