ANJIRA (Khuzdar): The political, military and tribal leadership of Balochistan has resolved to continue joint efforts for peace and development in the province and appealed to self-exiled Baloch leaders to return to the country to join mainstream politics to serve the people if they are sincere to them.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri, Southern Command Commander Lt Gen Aamer Riaz, Sardar Aslam Bezenjo, Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani and Sardar Kamal Khan Bangulzai said this while addressing a public meeting held here to observe the third death anniversary of Shohada-i-Zehri in Anjira area of the Khuzdar district on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Nawab Zehri said that so-called leaders of the province living in the UK and Switzerland had no mandate to decide the fate of Balochistan, adding that civil and military leadership was on the same page and was jointly working for a bright future of the people of the province.

“Nobody will be allowed to impose their philosophy and will at gunpoint on the people of Balochistan,” the chief minister declared.

“Our ancestors had decided to become part of the newly-created country called Pakistan. The so-called leaders of the province living in London and Switzerland have no right and mandate to decide the fate of Balochistan”

He said that if Hairbyar Marri and Barhamdagh Bugti were sincere to the people of Balochistan, they should return to Pakistan from UK and Switzerland, join mainstream politics and work for the betterment and welfare of the people of the province and the country.

Nawab Zehri said that a handful of people could not undermine peace of Balochistan through their anti-peace activities.

“Pakistan is the homeland of all of us and we will not allow enemies of the country and the province to damage it,” he said.

He said that those people who had fled to mountains to launch an armed movement against the government should know that their so-called leaders had been living a luxurious life in UK and Switzerland.

He invited all youths to leave mountains and join mainstream politics to resolve problems of the people of Balochsitan.

He said that his son, brother and other relatives had been killed by terrorists as the they loved Pakistan.

“Their death is a tragedy not only for me and my family, but for the entire country as well,” Nawab Zehri declared, adding that they had sacrificed their lives to uphold the national flag of Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Southern Command Commander Lt Gen Aamer Riaz said that through joint efforts of civil and military leadership, terrorism had been defeated in Balochistan and now the province had been put on the track of development, progress and prosperity.

He said the people of Balochistan had also participated in the Pakistan Movement.

He said that enemies of the country had targeted children and family members of Nawab Zehri, but they could not weaken the resolve and passion of the people of Balochistan to see their province and the country progressing and developing.

He said the law and order situation had improved and the province had been put on track of development.

“Joint efforts of civil and military leadership have started bearing fruit in the shape of restoration of peace in Balochistan,” he said.

Lt Gen Aamer Riaz asked youths of Balochistan who had left for mountains to come back and participate in the ongoing efforts for development of the province.

“Please, all of you should come back, forgetting everything you did and we will also forget everything happened,” Lt Gen Aamer Riaz said, adding that this big public meeting was a proof that youths of the province were in favour of peace and development.

Provincial Minister Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani paid tribute to Shohada-i-Zehri and said that their sacrifices had created a spirit in the youths of Balochistan to fight against terrorism.

He said that youths who wanted peace and order in their motherland should come down from mountains and join hands with the government to achieve this goal.

Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti said that rights could be achieved through a democratic process and not at gunpoint.

“We will continue fighting until a single terrorist is alive,” he declared.

Sardar Aslam Bezenjo said that “we are living in an independent country and anyone who tries to snatch our freedom will have to first fight with us”.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2016