QUETTA: Treasury and opposition members of the Balochistan Assembly have condemned the recent Mastung suicide bombing and Gwadar killings and demanded that the government arrange an in- camera briefing over on tragic incidents.

During a marathon session of the assembly, which concluded on Saturday night, they termed these incidents shameful and said it was an attempt to isolate Pakistan at the international level.

Almost all members attending the session spoke on a joint adjournment motion moved by Abdul Rehman Khetiran of the JUI-F.

Yasmeen Lehri, a member of the panel of chairpersons, presided over the session.

Concluding the debate, Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti claimed that the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi al Alami, and not the Islamic State militant group, was involved in the Mastung incident. The IS claimed the responsibility to isolate Pakistan on the international front, he added.

He said Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was targeted to spread chaos and lawlessness in Balochistan, but the enemy would be given a strong response.

He said the incident of Gwadar was shameful and was an act of cowardice and it defied the Baloch and Pakhtun traditions. Terrorists had killed Pakistanis and no Baloch had killed Sindhis. Such incidents could not hamper development in Balochistan, he said.

“Killing of innocent people is neither nationalism nor a pro-Baloch act,” he said, adding that terrorism had no links with religion.

He said security forces had foiled a great many bids of terrorism. “Unity of Pakistanis is enough for defeating the enemy,” the minister said, adding that many attacks on politicians had taken place during the past four years.

Opposition leader and Parlia­mentary Leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Maulana Abdul Wasey told the provincial assembly that acts of terrorism had been taking place continuously in Balochistan. Despite reservations, political parties supported the National Action Plan, he added.

He said that despite attacks on Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maulana Sherani and Maulana Ghafoor Haideri, the world viewed the JUI-F with suspicion. He said they were tired of picking up dead bodies and now was the time to take a decision and get united on the issue.

Provincial Minister for Education Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal told the house that the government would urge the federal government to give in-camera briefing to the provincial assembly on the incidents of Mastung and Gwadar.

Former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, speaking on the adjournment motion, questioned the kind of Jihad being waged by attacking Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri. He said Pakistan should revisit its foreign policy because if it was not done such incidents would continue to take place.

Deputy opposition leader in the Balochistan Assembly Engineer Zamarak Khan Piralizai said that along with the foreign policy, the internal policy should also be revisited. He said that the entire country was burning and terrorists were carrying out attacks on the political and religious leadership.

The provincial minister for revenue said the attack on Maulana Ghafoor Haideri was aimed at spreading anarchy. He said the entire leadership should sit together and find out a solution.

He demanded revisiting of the country’s foreign and internal policies.

Shahida Rauf of the JUI-F condemned the Mastung and Gwadar incidents and said that whenever such incidents took place the nation became stronger and united to face the challenges. “All nefarious designs against our country would be foiled,” she said.

Provincial Minister Dr Hamid Achakzai said that political parties should play their role for stopping such incidents. He said that time had come to revisit policies.

Mir Khalid Langove of the National Party said joint efforts should be made to fight terrorism in the country.

The house demanded through a resolution that the government arrange an in-camera briefing on the Mastung carnage and security situation in the province.

The education minister assured the house that the in-camera briefing would be arranged. The government would pay compensation to heirs of victims of both the incidents, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2017