National Party Balochistan: ‘dg Khan, Rajanpur Should Be Part Of Balochistan’ By Owais Jafri

The National Party Balochistan (NPB) has demanded that Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts be made part of Balochistan.

Senator Baloch says that there is no need to create a new province in the south Punjab either on linguistic grounds or administrative grounds.

MULTAN:

The National Party Balochistan (NPB) has demanded that Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts be made part of Balochistan.

More than 2,000 people from Dera Ghazi Khan division, Rajan Pur, Jam Pur, Taunsa and nearby tribal areas participated in a rally organised by the NPB on Monday.

The rally was led by NPB President Senator Dr Abdul Malik Baloch.

Participants carried placards and banners saying that Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur should be part of Balochistan province. They rallied from Pul Data Square to the District Press Club and shouted slogans against the proposed creation of new provinces and administrative units.

Addressing the rally, Senator Baloch said that there was no need to create a new province in the south Punjab either on linguistic grounds or administrative grounds. The federation, he said, had igrnored promises made to the tribal leaders.

“Today, I have gathered these people to demand the inclusion of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan districts in Balochistan, since they were separated from Balochistan at the time the One Unit was created.” He also demanded President Asif Ali Zardari hold a referendum in Dera Ghazi Khan division so that the people could decide if they wanted to be part of Balochistan.

Senator Baloch said that the federation had failed to keep its promises made with the tribal leaders.

He regretted that whenever the NPB had raised its voice for its rights, it had been accused of rebellion against Pakistan and declared traitors.

He said that the creation of new provinces, both on the basis of language and administration, would be a conspiracy against various ethnicities and the NPB.

He concluded that the only viable solution to the issue was to hear the demands of all regional ethnicities in Pakistan and implement them. The federation would be strengthened only when confederations within the federation were empowered and the people enjoyed their basic rights, he added.

Since the Pakistan People’s Party announced a movement for the creation of a Seraiki province almost two years ago, the NPB has organised dozens of public gatherings in Dera Ghazi Khan division against the idea, including 20 major public gatherings this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2012.