New drive to contain growing violence in Balochistan

Islamabad: A new drive to contain growing violence by separatist groups in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province is in the offing, with greater involvement of paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) force in the campaign.

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced the move at a news conference Wednesday in Quetta, capital of Balochistan. He said FC was being given police powers to play an effective role in the drive.

Malik however said only “targeted action” would be taken jointly by FC and police and denied a statement attributed to him by the media that a Swat-like military operation would get underway in the province.

Earlier the minister told reporters on arrival in Quetta on Tuesday that Balochistan nationalist leaders had not given a positive response to the government’s offer of talks to find an amicable solution to the unrest in the mineral-rich but impoverished province.

Malik said he had discussed the offer with Harbayar Marri, a prominent figure in the Baloch nationalist camp, when he met him in London where Marri lives. He said had also approached Baramdagh Bugti in Afghanistan through an intermediary.

Balochistan, which borders on both Afghanistan and Iran, has been plagued by acts of violence and sabotage involving separatist militants belonging to a number of underground groups vowing to liberate their region.

The interior minister said the government had already banned five groups and frozen their accounts. The main among them were Balochistan Liberation Army, Balochistan Liberation Front and Balochistan United Liberation Front.

The low-scale insurgency in the province gained momentum after the killing of tribal chieftain, Baloch nationalist leader and former provincial governor Nawab Akbar Bugti in alleged military operation in 2006 during the Musharraf regime.

A wave of “targeted killings” has rocked the province in recent years in which hundreds of settlers including professionals have been killed.

The interior minister vowed that the new campaign to improve law and order and restore sense of security among the people in the province would bear fruits.

Pakistan has frequently alleged interference from Afghanistan in Balochistan, accusing India of abetting the unrest.

Malik reiterated the claim, saying Islamabad had been urging Kabul to prevent the interference.

He said President Asif Ali Zardari had apologised to people of Balochistan for the wrongs done to them in the past and stressed that the present government was working for social and economic uplift in the region and more employment opportunities for youth.

Malik urged Baloch youth to join FC and provincial law enforcement setup and help maintenance of peace and order.