Pakistani Leaders Call for Dialogue with Youth in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Islamabad, Pakistan – On September 5, opposition leaders in Pakistan, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub Khan, raised concerns about the growing discontent in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They urged the government to engage in dialogue with the estranged youth in these regions.
Call for Political Solutions
Maulana Fazlur Rehman emphasized the need for a political approach to address the grievances of the people in these provinces. He noted that the government seemed to have lost control in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where armed groups were patrolling streets and collecting taxes.
Rehman highlighted the extreme positions taken by both sides, with one party talking about separation and the other vowing to use full force to protect the state. He expressed concerns over the country’s security and criticized the parliament for not taking the issues seriously, especially after the August 26 terror attacks in Balochistan that killed dozens of people.
Proxy War and Missing Persons
Rehman also mentioned that Pakistan had become a battleground for a proxy war between the US and China, affecting megaprojects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He raised the issue of missing persons, with families still waiting for news about their loved ones who disappeared up to 20 years ago. He stressed that it was the government’s responsibility to inform families about the whereabouts of missing persons.
Omar Ayub Khan’s Proposals
Omar Ayub Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, also stressed the need to address the grievances of the people in Balochistan. He suggested sending a fact-finding mission to the area and forming a committee to talk to the local people. He acknowledged that the grievances of the Baloch youth were genuine and needed to be addressed.
Doubts Revealed
Maulana Fazlur Rehman -: Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a Pakistani politician and the leader of a political party called Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F). He is known for his influence in religious and political matters in Pakistan.
Omar Ayub Khan -: Omar Ayub Khan is another Pakistani politician. He has served in various government positions and is part of a political family in Pakistan.
Balochistan -: Balochistan is a province in Pakistan. It is known for its natural resources but also faces issues like poverty and political unrest.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is another province in Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern part of the country and has a history of conflict and tribal culture.
Proxy war -: A proxy war is when two countries fight indirectly by supporting different groups or countries instead of fighting each other directly. In this case, it refers to the US and China supporting different sides in conflicts.
Missing persons -: Missing persons are people who have disappeared and whose whereabouts are unknown. In some regions, people go missing due to conflicts or political issues.
Fact-finding mission -: A fact-finding mission is a group of people who go to a place to gather information and understand the situation better. They try to find out the truth about what is happening.
Committee -: A committee is a group of people chosen to do a specific task or to make decisions about a particular issue. In this case, it would be to talk to local people and understand their problems.
