By Latif Baloch
KARACHI, Jan 13: Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal, founder of the Balochistan
National Party (BNP), has described the situation in his province worse than
that of the 70s as violence seemed inevitable there.
He told Dawn on Thursday that Islamabad had already aired its plan for
launching a crackdown on the Baloch people. He warned the rulers of dire
consequences in case such an operation was launched, adding that what happened
in one country was no longer considered to be its 'internal affair'.
"It is naive to think that international forces whose economic and defence
interests are involved in this country will overlook the situation," he said.
According to him, as a nation the Balochs are politically more conscious today
as compared to the 70s and they are determined to protect their rights.
Now that President Musharraf had made clear his intentions, nobody could blame
the Baloch for withdrawing from the negotiating committee of the Senate, said
Sardar Mengal. The BNP stand on the issue had turned out to be the correct one
and so were its apprehensions, he added.
Elaborating further, the former chief minister of Balochistan said: "We must
go to the depth of the problem. We are asking something of a party which is
responsible for depriving us of our national identity and rights and working
for a greater Punjab."
On being asked about the possibility of a negotiated settlement, Sardar Mengal
remarked that someone having the status of army chief who could deviate from
his committement, as in the case of the uniform, could take a U-turn on any
issue at any time.
"This is where our pessimism is bolstered," he said, adding that by his recent
utterances President Gen Musharraf had left no doubt that he wanted to protect
a few culprits involved in the gang-rape of a lady doctor in Sui.
The general had not minced his words, accusing the whole Baloch nation of an
offence punishable by elimination when they raised a voice against the
atrocity.
On being asked where the situation would lead the Baloch people to, Sardar
Mengal replied that it was now up to the people to decide. He said the present
scenario had raised only one question. "Wishful thinking apart, is there any
room left for us to consider ourselves full citizens of this country?"
Answering to a question about the role of the constituent parties of Ponam,
the BNP leader said he was contacting the movement leaders, particularly the
Sindh-based ones owing to the "nature of the gang-rape case" as the victim
happened to be a Sindhi.
Sardar Mengal expressed surprise that Sindhi politicians had taken the case
rather lightly, adding that he would raise the matter before Sindhi colleagues
who have kept silent and would have to satisfy us. About the future of
Balochistan, the BNP leader observed that so far the situation had been
volatile as the country was entering a 'hot phase'.