SUKKUR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl central secretary general Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri has advised the state and the federal government to resolve Balochistan`s problem through talks instead of force, else it may lead to another tragedy lilce the cessation of East Pakistan.

The Maulana said at a press conference in Kandhkot the other day that the situation in Balochistan had been problematic since the day of its merger into Pakistan. Tribal chieftains were always arrested and shoved into jails in Balochistan during periods of military rule but suchexcesses reached peak during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto`s tenure as prime minister, he said.He said that Balochistan had been in a virtual state of war since the martyrdom of Nawab Akbar Bugti and the province had not been allowed to run smoothly since then, he remarked.

He said that amended Peca law should not be used to restrict freedom of expression and every state institute should work within its limits. JUI`s chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had spoken to president and prime minister on the law, he said, adding that the state should fulfil its responsibility as the country was going through a crucialperiod.

The Maulana, who is also his party`s MNA, said that people in several districts of Sindh felt increasingly insecure due to rise in the crimes of kidnapping for ransom, robbery and extortion.

He regretted that Hindu community living in Kandhkot was receiving chitsfor protection money from criminals. The community was engaged in noble work of business but it was weak against criminals like all peaceful citizens hence it was duty of the state to provide them protection, he demanded.

He said the government and the state appeared to have completely failed to establish peace in the country and when the government failed to rein in a handful of criminals then how rulers would be able to run the entire country.

He remarked that incompetent people had been brought to the assembly who did not even know the dif ference between law and Constitution. The 2024 election was rather a selection which had pushed the country towards destruction, he said.

He said that if the powers that be wanted the federal government to complete its term it would complete the ten-ure. It was sheer injustice to build canals on the Indus River and pilfer water share of Sindh, when the province and Balochistan did not get their portion of water in normal days, he said.

He said that JUI and PTI had been bitter rivals in the past but they had ceased fire between them nowadays as both the parties were at present in the opposition.

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`In my constituency, there are no basic facilities and even when the temperature drops to minus 12 degrees centigrade there is no gas to keep homes warm. I have met the prime minister to get the problems resolves,` he said.

The Maulana was accompanied by Hafiz Rabnawaz Chachar, Maulvi Mohammad Salah Malik, Mufti Abdul Wahid Ghuniyo and others.