Balochistan: Protest march to Pak Army HQ planned amid endless enforced disappearances, lawlessness

Quetta, Aug 8 (IANS) Jamaat-i-Islami Balochistan Emir Maulana Hidayatur Rehman has threatened to hold a protest march to the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters if the federal government does not enforce an eight-point agreement within six months, local media reported on Friday.

Rehman made the announcement while addressing a press conference after leading a protest march from Quetta to Islamabad. The long march, which started on July 25, was organised to protest against ongoing injustices in the province, including enforced disappearances, lawlessness, humiliation at security checkpoints, the unchecked presence of the Frontier Corps, border closures and the "stranglehold of the trawler mafia," Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn reported on Friday.

"If these demands are not fulfilled within six months, Jamaat-i-Islami will be compelled to resume protests, including a sit-in from Quetta to GHQ in Rawalpindi," Rehman was quoted as saying.

He warned that the Gwadar deep-sea port would not be made formally functional if basic civic amenities, including electricity supply, clean drinking water, health care and job opportunities, are not provided to the people of Gwadar. He further said if the "issues of the people, which are increasing with every passing day, were not addressed, the government will have to cross our bodies."

The march has called for the recovery of missing persons and an end to throwing the bodies in deserted places, the release of political prisoners and giving the people of Balochistan full control over their natural resources and coastal assets. Rehman accused the provincial government of not being able to represent the people of Balochistan.

Rehman said that resolutions passed in the Balochistan Assembly have no practical value and stressed further that government must resolve issues of people instead of constantly ignoring them.

He warned further that a "jirga" with other political and trade organisations will be organised to decide future plan if there is no progress made to implement the eight-point agenda.

Maulana Hidayatur Rehman also slammed the security efforts despite government's allocation of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 80 billion to law enforcement for maintaining peace. "This money isn’t meant for eating snacks, but for fulfilling responsibilities — something they’ve failed to do," he said while vowing to continue raising voice for the rights of the people of Balochistan.

--IANS

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