ISLAMABAD: Expressing serious concern over the discovery of mass graves in Balochistan, provincial Health Minister Rahmat Saleh Baloch claimed on Saturday that all the decomposed and mutilated bodies found in Tootak area of Khuzdar district were of those who had been missing since long.

“This is intolerable and a cause of serious consternation, especially among the youths losing all hopes fast,” the minister said while talking to Dawn.

“This is a liability of wrong policies left out by the Musharraf regime for the hapless people of Balochistan to suffer, that is also providing space to the inimical hidden hands to pursue their nefarious designs,” he said.

“Any attempt to subjugate the people with the barrel of the gun always fans hate,” Mr Baloch, who is visiting Islamabad, said.

The unearthing of 13 mutilated bodies had sent shockwaves in the country, even forcing the Supreme Court to intervene and summon the provincial government authorities to disclose the factual position about the incident.

On Feb 4, Khuzdar Deputy Commissioner Syed Abdul Hameed Shah told the court that the bodies had been accidentally discovered by a shepherd on Jan 17 in Tootak area under heaps of stones and mud with vultures and crows hovering over them.

Nasrullah Baloch, chairman of the Voice of Baloch Missing Persons, had claimed that three of the bodies had been identified as those from the list of missing persons, but this is for the first time that a member of the ruling National Party (NP) has conceded it.

“This is like genocide of the Baloch people, which nobody likes to tolerate,” the Balochistan minister said.

“The state within the state,” was a prompt reply when asked to identify those responsible for the missing persons’ issue.

Mr Baloch demanded immediate cessation of private militias being patronised by the powers that be.

“The emotive issue of missing persons is like a python which swallows everything, no matter you sanction 200 development packages for the uplift of the Baloch people,” he deplored, pointing finger towards the ill-conceived policies of a previous coalition government of the BNP-A and MMA which approved a military operation in Balochistan during retired Gen Musharraf’s rule that eventually culminated in the abduction of over 750 student leaders.

The minister said the slain Nawab Akbar Bugti had never announced disassociation of Balochistan from Pakistan, rather he had only raised his voice for complete access of the Baloch people to its resources – a demand which was ultimately accepted under the 18th Amendment.

He said the federal government should heal the wounds of the Baloch people by patronising them.

He said things were gradually improving in the province and the legacy of the previous government of Nawab Aslam Raisani in the shape of rampant corruption in all the departments was being checked.

Complete autonomy to the provincial government in running the affairs of the province with non-interference by the centre coupled with immediate recovery of missing persons and trial of those responsible for anti-state activities would remove uncertainty and help improve the law and order situation, he said.

He praised the recent visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Balochistan where he announced a number of development schemes.

The minister said almost the entire Balochistan had become polio free except Pishin and Qilla Abdullah districts which were dominated by Pakhtuns.“We have to achieve the goal of having a polio-free country by 2015, otherwise free travel of our citizens at international airports will be hampered,” he said.

The situation has improved since 46 cases of polio were reported in 2012 and the number drastically dropped to four last year.

Mr Baloch appealed to the Planning Commission to immediately approve provincial development programmes because the salary of around 7,000 lady health workers in the province could not be dispersed because of the delay.