KHUZDAR: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri has offered attractive incentives to the militants living on the hills to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream politics and said his government is committed to rehabilitating them honourably.

Addressing a public meeting at Anjera on the occasion of death anniversary of his son and other relatives who were killed in a bomb attack during the 2013 election campaign, he said his government was determined to restoring peace in all parts of Balochistan.

He criticised those elements who were trying to undermine security and integrity of Pakistan while sitting in Europe and said that they were doing it at the behest of India. They were agents of India, RAW and the ruling Hindu elite, he added.

The chief minister said law and order had been restored in all parts of Balochistan and there was no chance of returning back to 2013 situation when the militants planted bombs and killed innocent people, including his son and other relatives.

He questioned the means of livelihood of the militants who lived in Europe. Being modest farmers and growers, they could not sustain a luxurious life in Europe, mainly London and other costly cities of Western Europe.

Without naming the Balochistan National Party, he said the party won only two seats in the last elections and it could not be the representative of Balochistan and its people, but it was holding public meetings and making propaganda against the CPEC and trying to undermine its projects.

He disclosed that he received threats from the militants not to participate in the last elections. He said he was told that if the chief of Jhalawan tribe refrained from the elections, others would also boycott the polls.

Mr Zehri said he rejected the threat and participated in the elections.

It was a huge condolence meeting in which people from major parts of Balochistan and adjoining areas of Sindh came in large numbers to pay tribute to the martyrs.

In his address on the occasion, Inspector General of Frontier Corps, Balochistan, Major General Nadeem Anjum said Baloch tribes were performing their duty defending the country.

He said the enemies of the country had snatched pen and books from youths and had given them weapons and they had started attacking police and security forces.

The IG FC said 100 countries, including Iran and Russia, wanted to be part of the CPEC project.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2017