Pakistan offers amnesty to rebel leaders to resolve Baloch issue

In what is being seen as last ditch attempts to save Balochistan province sliding into an all out civil war situation, the Pakistan government has offered amnesty to the leaders of the insurgency if they return to the country. Interior minister Rehman Malik told newsmen this week that, “all cases

will be withdrawn against Baloch leaders if they return."

The offer has been made to Baloch leaders Brahamdagh Bugti and Hyrbyiar Marri. It is a follow up to government attempts to bring the leaders of the insurgency to the negotiation table. On behalf of prime minister Gilani, interior minister Malik said that the government has invited the Jamhoori Watan Party, which is one of the maor parties of the province, to nominate representatives for initiating talks with the government. 

"We want a political solution of the Balochistan issue," said Malik. 

"Both Brahamdagh Bugti and Hyrbyiar Marri should take part in the political and development process and I will personally receive them," he added. 

Brahamdagh Bugti, who currently lives in exile in Switzerland, went underground when his grandfather Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed in a military operation in 2006. Brahamadagh accuses General Musharraf, who was then president, of ordering the killing. 

Several dissidents from Balochistan, namely Khan of Kalat Mir Suleman Dawood, Hyrbyiar Marri, a son of veteran nationalist leader Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, and former leader of the opposition in the Balochistan Assembly Kachkol Ali Baloch have all succeeded in getting political asylum overseas. 

In response to the offer, dissident leaders have said that they will not accept it because Rehman Malik "does not call the shots in Balochistan." This was in reference to the role of the Pakistan Army and its intelligence agencies, who have de-facto control of the province since 2006, after the death of Nawab Bugti. They said that they feared of being kidnapped or killed if they returned to Pakistan. Earlier this year, the sister and neice of Brahamdagh were killed in what is being seen to be a hit by intelligence agencies. 

At the same time, hundreds of cases of missing persons remain unresolved.  Some 48 new cases came to light from various districts of Balochistan in recent months, according to officials associated with a special task force working under the auspices of the interior ministry. 

The task force is responsible for collecting data regarding missing persons across the country, with the help of the National Crisis Management Cell (NACTA).

Pakistan refrains from accusing India on Balochistan trouble

In a marked departure, Pakistan on Friday steered clear of accusing India of stirring trouble in strife-torn Balochistan. Despite repeated leading questions pointing to Pakistan's earlier stance that India had a role in destabilizing Balochistan, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit refused to be provoked; maintaining that the government did not want to engage in public recrimination at this juncture.

Fielding questions on Balochistan at the routine briefing of the Foreign Office, Mr. Basit's reply to questions on the involvement of foreign hands in the situation in the province was: “There has been evidence of this. Let us not talk about this now. The Government is cognizant of this and the Government is eager to handle this politically.''

Asked why Baloch separatist leaders took asylum in Europe when Pakistan has traditionally blamed India of supporting them, the spokesman said: “Without blaming any country, there has been evidence of foreign powers trying to destabilize Balochistan. At this stage, it is better not to engage in public recrimination because the Government is working very hard to resolve our own internal problems politically.”

On being reminded of the mention of Balochistan in the joint statement issued by India and Pakistan after the two prime ministers met at Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt in July 2009 and whether the Foreign Office's refusal to point the accusing finger at New Delhi now reflected a shift in policy, Mr. Basit said: “There has been evidence but we do not want to take names at this juncture;” adding that Pakistan expected other countries not to interfere in its internal affairs.

For long Pakistan has accused India of fishing in the troubled waters of Balochistan — where the demand for independence is gathering steam — but the Indian Government's counter has been that evidence had not been furnished by Islamabad till date.

And, before the Baloch Republican Party chief Baramdagh Bugti moved to Switzerland last year, Islamabad repeatedly claimed that he had been given an Indian passport and was living in Afghanistan with the backing of New Delhi and Kabul. In fact, the Pakistani refrain is that Nawabzada Bugti moved to Switzerland only when relations between Kabul and Islamabad began improving.