Balochistan govt plans to approach nationalist leaders through jirga

Chief Minister Balochistan, Nawab Aslam Raisani. – File Photo QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to approach angry Baloch nationalist leaders through a grand tribal jirga and invite them to negotiations aimed at ending unrest in the province. The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani on Saturday. The meeting, held in line with the Supreme Court`s recent orders to trace the whereabouts of missing people, was attended by Home Minister Mir Zafarullah Zehri, Communications Minister Mir Sadiq Ali Umrani, Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani, Inspector-General of Police and other senior officials. Sources said the grand jirga would comprise Baloch, Pakhtun and Sindhi tribal elders who would meet all the Baloch nationalist leaders, living in Pakistan or abroad. The sources said that Mr Raisani expressed serious concerns over the issue of missing persons, targeted killings and finding of decomposed and bullet-riddled bodies from different parts of the province. Discussing the issue of missing persons, the meeting vowed to find the solution to the seemingly tough problem. Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani informed the meeting of the instructions of the apex court regarding the missing persons. The meeting resolved that government officials and tribal elders would call on nationalist leaders to find the solution to the problems faced by the province.