Women, children also being picked up in Balochistan, claims Mengal

ISLAMABAD: Baloch parliamentarian Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Wednesday raised the issue of missing persons questioning as to why the legislation regarding forced disappearance was being kept pending.Speaking on a point of order in the NA, Mengal said the pen with which the government had signed six-point agreement with BNP-Mengal has been broken. The BNP-Mengal had reached a six-point agreement with PTI last year in return for support for formation of PTI government in the Centre. The points include recovery of missing persons, immediate repatriation of Afghan refugees, implementation on the NAP, implementation on six percent quota for Balochistan in jobs in the federal government and construction of dams in Balochistan to meet acute water shortage. “We have time and again asked for formation of committee for implementation of the agreement,” he said. The Baloch leader regretted that what had been happening in the NA was considered more important than the problems of the Balochistan province. “The Balochistan province is mired in problems due to natural calamities and terrorism,” he said.He questioned as to how terrorists from Iran crossed the border, reached 400 kilometers inside the province, killed 14 people in Ormara and then ran back. “There are around 50 check posts of different security institutions from border to the place where the 14 people were martyred,” he said. He said he also want to ask Fawad Chaudhry whether the terrorists escaped to Iran in helicopters which costs Rs 60 per kilometer.He said the terror attack in Hazar Ganji was a disaster and people of Hazara tribe worship under a security umbrella and still they were not safe. He regretted that following the incident, children and women were also amongst those picked up. Mengal also waived pictures of these people in the House. However, he said he heard that children and women have been released.Saying that his party wanted to give full opportunity to fulfill promises, Akhtar Mengal complained that Dr. Shireen Mazari had finalized a bill regarding missing children but the legislation to address the forced disappearances was yet to be given the final shape.Dr Shireen Mazari said there is nothing wrong in issues pointed out by Sardar Mengal. She said there would be no change in the agreement and the government would work on that. “Mengal sb, we all are Pakistanis and want to move forward to resolve issues of Balochistan,” she said. She also requested the National Assembly Speaker to use his influence so that six points of Mengal are implemented. “Mr Speaker you were also present on occasion of signing the six-point agreement,” she said.She said that draft of bill regarding forced disappearances had been sent to the Ministry of Law for vetting and would be introduced in the House in near future. “I will request the Law Minister to clear the bill at the earliest,” she said. The Minister said it was true that the people of Balochistan are suffering from injustice but some forces are creating hurdles in addressing various issues.

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