QUETTA: Leaders of Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-iPakistan (TTAP) have asserted that the people of Balochistan are the rightful owners of the province`s resources and that Islamabad has no authority to deprive them of their legitimate rights.

This was stated by former senator Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani and TTAP leaders, including Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Latif Khosa, Allama Raja Nasir and Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, during a joint press conference at Sarawan House on Thursday.

They criticised the state`s history of military operations in Balochistan, emphasising that issues cannot be resolved through force but rather through dialogue. They said the prevailing sense of deprivation in Balochistan has now escalated into a feeling of subjugation.

The TTAP leaders highlighted contradictions in the country`s political landscape, pointing out that while the leader who secured 180 seats in the Feb 8 elections remains in jail, the one who won only 17 seats has become the prime minister -calling this an unsustainable injustice.

Mr Raza said a TTAP delegation had met Nawabzada Raisani to discuss the long-standing exploitation of Balochistan, which has persisted for six to seven decades.

He lamented that Balochistan`s rightful claim over its resources has never been acknowledged and that military operations have repeatedly been used to suppress its people. He accused the state of failing to honour agreements with the people of Balochistan, including commitments enshrined in the 1973 Constitution.

He alleged that the government engineered the elections by favouring certain candidates while disregarding the people`s mandate.

Expressing hope that Mr Raisani would support TTAP`s struggle, he stressed that negotiations are the only viable solution to Balochistan`s issues.

Mr Raisani urged the government to establish a formal commission to address the issue of missing persons and ensure the release of all political activists, including women.

He emphasised that Balochistan`s political exclusion must end and that institutions must refrain from interfering in political matters.

Mr Khosa said Balochistan is an integral part of Pakistan and that its resources should be utilised for the benefit of its people. He condemned the arrest of women activists and criticised the increasing political suppression in the country.