Ex-PM urges serious measures to address Balochistan issue

Former prime minister and major political party leader on Friday said that problems being faced by people of Pakistan's Balochistan Province should be addressed in a serious way, local media reported. Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Chief Nawaz Sharif suggested to host an all party seminar to discuss the issue of Balochistan Province. Speaking to a gathering in western city of Quetta he warned that peace could not prevail in Balochistan unless those responsible for the injustices were not held accountable. Nawaz said that the whole country needs to work together and find solutions to Balochistan’s troubles. “If we work together, we can bring Balochistan in the mainstream again,” he stressed. While addressing the gathering, Nawaz said that it was high time that something was done about the hurt sentiments of the people of Balochistan. Nawaz said that Balochistan should be given its rights and that target killings and kidnappings should stop. The PML-N chief said that Balochistan’s Gawadar port had the potential to compete with Dubai and other Gulf countries. Sharif also said that everything in Balochistan had been destroyed, and that this had ended up hurting the people of this province. The PML-N chief moreover said that public mandate was not being respected in Pakistan which was why the country was lagging behind in the race for prosperity.