Islamabad: Pakistan PM Imran KHAN He indicated on Monday that he was considering “talking to the insurgents” in Balochistan and blamed the insurgency on previous governments that failed to do development work in the region.
Balochistan province has long been host to separatist insurgency. Activists in Balochistan say thousands of preachers have gone missing in recent years and accuse the Pakistani military of brutally suppressing the region’s aspirations for autonomy.
Addressing a gathering of local elders, students and businessmen in Gwadar During his one-day visit to the port city, Khan said he was looking at “talking to the rebels” in Balochistan, Dawn reported.
He said that the unrest in Balochistan is linked to poverty and backwardness and a government would never have to worry about extremism if attention had been paid to its development.
“We have given the biggest package to Balochistan because we believe that justice has not been done to the people of Balochistan and people are left behind,” he said.
Taking a jibe at the previous governments, Khan said that the money which was earlier spent on the development of the state, was spent by the politicians on themselves.
“The feeling of deprivation that started spreading in Balochistan would never have spread if the politicians of Balochistan had spent money in the right way,” he said.
The Prime Minister said, “It is possible that they (rebels) have complaints…”
Khan said the government has imposed a complete ban on the entry of foreign fishing trawlers into the waters of Pakistan, including those of China, for the safety of the local fishermen. He said the Chinese government “won’t mind, because we have very good relations with China”.
Balochistan province has long been host to separatist insurgency. Activists in Balochistan say thousands of preachers have gone missing in recent years and accuse the Pakistani military of brutally suppressing the region’s aspirations for autonomy.
Addressing a gathering of local elders, students and businessmen in Gwadar During his one-day visit to the port city, Khan said he was looking at “talking to the rebels” in Balochistan, Dawn reported.
He said that the unrest in Balochistan is linked to poverty and backwardness and a government would never have to worry about extremism if attention had been paid to its development.
“We have given the biggest package to Balochistan because we believe that justice has not been done to the people of Balochistan and people are left behind,” he said.
Taking a jibe at the previous governments, Khan said that the money which was earlier spent on the development of the state, was spent by the politicians on themselves.
“The feeling of deprivation that started spreading in Balochistan would never have spread if the politicians of Balochistan had spent money in the right way,” he said.
The Prime Minister said, “It is possible that they (rebels) have complaints…”
Khan said the government has imposed a complete ban on the entry of foreign fishing trawlers into the waters of Pakistan, including those of China, for the safety of the local fishermen. He said the Chinese government “won’t mind, because we have very good relations with China”.
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