Nawaz assures Baloch leaders of help to resolve Balochistan issues

LAHORE: Former prime minister and PMLN President Nawaz Sharif has pledged to assist Baloch leaders in addressing the issues of Balochistan.

On Wednesday, he met Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, the former chief minister of Balochistan and leader of the National Party, at Jati Umrah.

During their meeting, they discussed the overall situation in the country, specifically in Balochistan. Nawaz Sharif assured Dr Baloch that he would play a role in resolving the political and economic challenges confronting Balochistan.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Abdul Malik Baloch said that Nawaz Sharif and other leaders welcomed them as per tradition and they discussed the political issues of Balochistan in detail.

Abdul Malik stated that Nawaz Sharif had been invited to Balochistan to meet political leaders. Nawaz Sharif is willing to play a role in addressing the issues in Balochistan, and in response to their request, he has agreed to visit the province. “We emphasized to Nawaz Sharif that his involvement in the current situation in Balochistan is crucial, and we hope he will once again contribute to solving the region’s problems, similar to his efforts in 2013,” the NP leader said.

PMLN leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said that Dr Abdul Malik Baloch informed the PMLN leadership about the problems of Balochistan and requested Nawaz to play his role, and he (Nawaz) has assured Dr Abdul Malik of solving the issues.

Meanwhile, PMLN Punjab chapter president Rana Sanaullah announced the launch of a public outreach campaign to reorganise and strengthen the party’s structure.

Talking to journalists outside Jati Umra, Sanaullah, who also serves as an adviser to prime minister on public and political affairs, said he would lead the campaign himself and present the ground realities to party president Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. For now, the drive will remain Punjab-centric, he noted, but added that once the PMLN president begins touring other provinces, public rallies will also be held there.

Commenting on the visit of American doctors to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, Sanaullah said that the doctors made no mention of his release and were perhaps only there to inquire about him. He stated that everyone has the right to express their opinions on social media.

In response to a question regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, he said that the latter should have represented his province in Pakistan Mineral Conference 2024. “If he is not doing so, he is neglecting his responsibilities,” he added.

He further said that the practice of filing false political cases must end and that political parties should come together for dialogue and resolve matters through mutual understanding.