QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said that anyone seeking talks with the state must first lay down arms, assuring that the government will welcome them with open arms.
He stressed that neither has the state nor has the government ever shut the door on dialogue. He expressed these views while speaking to the media in Bhit Shah, Matiari district, after attending the Urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai on Sunday. The chief minister was accompanied by Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah and Balochistan ministers Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi and Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani.
Bugti said the government would welcome all discussions held within the framework of the Constitution, but violence against innocent people was intolerable. “It is unacceptable to pull innocent labourers off buses and murder them,” he stated, vowing to bring all such killers to justice. He noted that the number of missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was higher than in Balochistan, yet the media rarely discussed it there. “In contrast, in Balochistan, the issue of missing persons is used as propaganda against the state,” he alleged. He also questioned why acts of terrorism in Karachi and Khyber were labelled as such, but similar violence in Balochistan was described differently.
The chief minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restoring peace, saying the state had entrusted him with that responsibility, which he intended to fulfil at all costs. He pledged never to betray the trust of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari, and promised governance reforms that would directly benefit ordinary citizens.
“For the first time in history, we have acted against the powerful, proving that the law is equal for everyone,” Bugti said, adding that those responsible for the Degari incident would face justice. Calling the incident an act of brutality, he said it did not reflect tribal values and reaffirmed his support for the victims.
Bugti announced plans to launch air and ferry services to facilitate Iranian pilgrims, clarifying that their difficulties were not solely security-related. “During the 800-kilometre journey, we have always provided complete security to pilgrims,” he said.
He also stressed the PPP’s longstanding struggle for press freedom, urging the media not to view Balochistan through the lens of a few individuals but to present the province’s true image to the world.
