Different political parties of Balochistan have slammed the “forceful” annexation of islands located in Balochistan into Pakistani federal territory. National Party has termed the development as an “illegal step”, whereas, BNM has said that “plans are underway to seize Balochistan’s coastal belt and separate it from Balochistan.”
The strong reaction came after Pakistan’s government announced to give the control of coastal islands in Balochistan to the federal government through a presidential ordinance.
National Party (NP), a political organisation active in Balochistan, staged a protest rally in Quetta on Sunday against the federal government’s decision.
NP’s regional secretary Salman Zehri, Wahdat Amin Dost Baloch, tehsil president Abdul Wahab Gholamani and Baloch Students Organisation (Pajjar)’s zonal president Khalil Ahmed Baloch addressed the protesters.
The speakers claimed that the decision by federal government violates the constitution of Pakistan.
“Balochistan and the Baloch people are in grave danger. This process will not only increase unemployment but also displace thousands of people living in the coastal areas. We do not accept the ordinance in any case and will not tolerate it,” they said.
Earlier, Baloch National Movement (BNM), a pro-independence political party from Balochistan had also expressed strong condemnation and termed the decision as an “attack on Baloch and Sindhi nations”.
The spokesperson of BNM, Dilmurad Baloch, in a statement said: ““Such tactics by the occupiers of the occupied territories are not new. This only proves all our concerns, expressed long ago, that plans were being made to seize Balochistan’s coastal belt and separate it from Balochistan.”
He said that the establishment of the Pakistan Island Development Authority to occupy the precious islands of Baloch and Sindhis is a slap on the face of those who rejoice over the 18th amendment. In fact, the Eighteenth Amendment was a hoax and an attempt to upbeat the Baloch nation through parliamentary groups. The fact is that even the parliamentarians knew that the 18th Amendment was a deception and a mirage, but they joined the state in this deception and became complicit in the crime, he said.
The BNP-M, another political party of Balochistan, also asked as to why Balochistan had no right on its islands and Gwadar Port.
“The islands are part of Pakistan, but they should remain under the control of the Balochistan government,” Dr Jahanzeb Baloch, the Secretary General of BNP-M, said while speaking to a press conference in Turbat.
He said that an attempt had been made to take over all islands of Balochistan through an ordinance and BNP-M would take up the matter in parliament besides challenging it in the court of law.
Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani also strongly condemned the promulgation of Pakistan Islands Development Authority Ordinance 2020.
Rabbani said the ordinance was a crude attempt to bring the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan under control of the federal government.