Baloch people have rejected census: Mengal

DERA MURAD JAMALI: President Balochistan National Party (BNP) and former provincial chief minister Sardar Akthar Mengal on Sunday said the people of Balochistan had rejected the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and the population census.

Addressing a big public meeting, he said if the census was conducted by force, the people of Balochistan would stand like rock against it.  He said Blaoch people will never accept census in the presence of lakhs of Afghan refugees.

“We never opposed development, but we do not want such development as to convert the people of Balochistan into a minority,” he said. Wali Kakar, Abdur Rauf Mengal, Jamila Baloch, Professor Dr Shahnaz Baloch and others also spoke on the occasion.

Mengal said 2.5 million children were deprived of education in Balochistan. He said Baloch people got nothing but operations, mutilated bodies, poverty, hunger and backwardness. “We are democratic people. We are struggling for democracy and want to secure our rights within the orbit of democracy. People disappeared in the province and their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters are visiting the doors of ministers. They say if their loved ones are alive they should be shown to them or their graves be show to them.”

“It is said that nawabs and sardar are opposed to development. Such people would be unfortunate if they hindered the development of their tribes and nation and gave resources to others. Which Nawab and Sardar has stopped the government from developing Balochistan? Give education and health facilities to the people Kirthar.”

He said the people of Nasirabad and Lasbella were deprived of electricity generated by Uch power plant and Hubco while factories and industries were being run on our electricity and gas.

“We invite investors to come and establish factories in Balochistan. We will provide land but they would be owner of 39 percent and 61 percent ownership would go to the people of Balochistan. We have been befooled in 70 years in name of development. Now CPEC is being built which is confined to Punjab only and not in Balochistan.