Karachi: The Pakistani premier on Saturday blasted an American Congressional resolution over its energy-rich province Balochistan. He reprimanded the country's ally in the war on terror saying it was an attempt to negate the "sovereignty" of the nation.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was talking to the media on the sidelines after inaugurating port berths at Karachi Port.
"The American resolution is against Pakistan's sovereignty," Gilani briefly said.
The resolution that was tabled in Congress last week urged the right of self-determination for the people of Balochistan province, which has been dealing with civil insurgency led by Baloch nationalists and separatists.
It said: "... Balochis have the right to self-determination and to their own sovereign country and they should be afforded the opportunity to choose their own status among the comity of nations, living in peace and harmony, without external coercion."
Tripartite summit
The resolution coincided with the tripartite summit in Islamabad among presidents Asif Ali Zardari, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, and Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai.
The government of Gilani soon after coming to power in 2008 vowed to promote dialogue with ethnic Baloch leaders in impoverished Balochistan, scene of a long-running insurgency.
The former government of president Pervez Musharraf launched military operations against Baloch rebels, who are fighting for more autonomy and a greater share of the revenues from natural gas and other resources extracted from the region.
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting, which is separate from the struggle between militants and security forces further north along the Afghan frontier.
Suo motu action
An unknown number of Baloch activists are suspected to have been detained by Pakistani security agencies and the country's apex court in a suo motu action took up the case of such activists who are known as "missing persons".
Despite the peace overtures, suspected Baloch rebels have intensified attacks on police and security officials in the province as well as outside it. In Islamabad, Information Minister Firdaus Aashiq Awan also called the resolution "shameful".
The Balochistan province makes up almost 60 per cent of Pakistan's land area and is rich in hydrocarbon and mineral resources. It gave the country the first gas deposits from the Sui districts.
