| Except in Wazoo, of course. And Bajaur. And Khyber... |
Threats to the solidarity of Pakistan will not be tolerated and the government will enforce its writ in Balochistan, President Gen Pervez Musharraf said in a meeting on the provincial law and order situation on Monday. The president said “certain elements” did not want to see Balochistan progressing as they stood to lose with the empowerment of the common people there. These elements were running ‘farari’ (fugitive) camps, attacking gas pipelines and security forces, killing Chinese engineers and non-Baloch Pakistani settlers in an effort to disrupt development projects, he said. “These terrorist activities were also taken to Karachi, Lahore and other parts of the country,” he said. However, he added that the problem existed only in small pockets of the province and most of Balochistan was peaceful.Gen Musharraf said severe action would be taken against anti-development elements in the province, but the meeting also decided that politicians, working under the direction of PML leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain Sayed, would coordinate with Baloch nationalists and opposition parties to set up a conducive and peaceful dialogue.
Baloch leaders also attended the meeting and supported the federal government. “We will not compromise on the solidarity of the country and will never allow the separatists to succeed. Anti-Pakistan sentiments will be fought,” sources quoted the Baloch leaders as telling the meeting. They also dismissed a separatist threat made by Akhtar Mengal. Gen Musharraf reiterated his commitment to the development of Balochistan. “I have already apologised to the people of Balochistan for the negligence of the past governments. We have initiated development projects worth Rs 135 billion,” he said, referring to Gwadar Port, the Makran Coastal Highway, Mirani and Subakzai dams and other projects.