Pak Senators ask govt. to halt Frontier Constabulary in Balochistan

Islamabad, July 29 (ANI): Senate members representing Pakistan's Balochistan province have asked the federal government to immediately halt the Frontier Constabulary operation, involved in targeted killings and arrest of political activists in the province.

The Daily Times quoted Senator Abdul Malik Baloch, as saying that the Frontier Constabulary was picking up Baloch youth without registering cases against them and keeping them in custody.

"If this practice continues, the situation will deteriorate," he warned.

Senator Ismail Buledi asked the government to immediately halt the operation by the Frontier Constabulary in Balochistan and produce the people still missing.

Many senators said that the people of the Punjab and their leaders were being subjected to target killings in Balochistan.

Baloch nationalist leader Mir Hasil Bizenjo told the house that that hundreds of workers of different political parties, including 50-60 workers of his own party, had been arrested in the recent past.

Bezinjo added: "There should be a difference between the policies of former president General Pervez Musharraf and Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The government should move forward and try to find solutions to the problems instead of having them suppressed by the Frontier Constabulary," he said.

Federal Minister israrullah Zehri accused government agencies of protecting the people involved in target killing instead of punishing them.

Senator Afrasiyab Khattak observed that the presence of the Frontier Constabulary in Balochistan could create ethnic unrest in the province. (ANI)