QUETTA - A spokesman for Balochistan government has termed unconstitutional the demand of imposing Governor’s rule in the province and deployment of Army units in Quetta to oversee the land and order situation.
In a statement issued here on Saturday, the spokesman clarified that the Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani had gone abroad for treatment of his throat for which he had sought written permission from the prime minister.
The chief minister was suffering from throat ailment for which he was constantly being examined by a medical board for the past many years. Due to state responsibilities, he could not get proper treatment for his ailing throat. On Jan 7, he left Pakistan to get treatment in a foreign country, the statement clarified the position on his foreign visit.
He said the main function of the government is to provide guidelines to the state institutions and the government functionaries in view of the deteriorating law and order situation, providing resources and not organising or leading a tribal Lashkar to combat the terrorists. This was in reference to the persistent criticism by some political parties and leaders on the role of the provincial government in recent acts of terrorism, it added.
The spokesman said the chief minister had given free hand to the Inspector General Police providing them resources and guidelines to combat the menace of terrorism. There are state institutions and organisations for the job to fight terrorism and other acts of violence in Balochistan and not the civilian administration performing this job. The state institutions and organisations should provide the security to life and property, the statement added.
The government is not interfering in the day-to-day affairs of the police, providing them a sizable chunk of the provincial resources, approving their development plans without any objection and most of the proposals presented by the Police Department had been accepted and approved without any hesitation.
The statement said that a major chunk of the provincial resources are being spent on restoration of law and order which is hampering the more pressing development programme. We have provided better facilities to the police and Balochistan Levies which is an indication of the government’s commitment to improve the law and order in a phased manner.
Referring to the acts of terrorism in Quetta and elsewhere, the spokesman said the terrorists are highly skillful and well trained using most modern technology in carrying out acts of subversion in Balochistan.
It indicated that the foreign powers and hostile countries are also involved in massive acts of sabotage, subversion and killing people en masse, the spokesman said. The situation in Balochistan is highly complicated in the context of acts of terrorism and a score of factors are working behind these sinister designs, the statement added.
The spokesman claimed that the Reko Dik copper and gold reserves and other rich mineral wealth are also a factor of foreign interference in Balochistan as the hostile forces are unhappy Balochistan is exploiting its own resources for the benefit of the people.