QUETTA: Mediating ef­forts spearheaded by Nawab Aslam Raisani, chief of the Sarawan tribe, and elders of Jhalawan clan bore fruit as both warring factions of the Mengal tribe agreed on a ceasefire for an indefinite period, bringing an end to the clashes that kept Wadh town tense for three days.

Seven people were injured during the fighting, and several government and private buildings were badly damaged when mortar shells and rockets hit them.

The foundation of the ceasefire, during which the warring sides would not vacate their positions till a permanent solution to the dispute is negotiated, was laid on Friday night when both parties agreed to a 24-hour truce as no shot was fired during that period.

With the announcement of ceasefire by Nawab Raisani, Wadh and nearby areas breathed a sigh of relief as normality started returning to the small town.

Reconciliation committee to ensure enforcement

“Main bazaars and shops have opened and people are busy shopping while traffic on Quetta-Karachi highway is also restored,” a senior official of Wadh administration told Dawn on phone.

While announcing ceasefire, Nawab Raisani said a five-member reconciliation committee had been formed. The committee will have two members from each side, he said, adding that names of the members would be provided by Sardar Asadullah Mengal and Shafiq Mengal, who would be undisputed persons. The committee will be headed by Wadera Ghulam Sarwar Mosyani.

The committee will be responsible for implementation of the ceasefire and will remain in contact with Nawab Raisani, district administration and leadership of both factions.

Earlier, Nawab Raisani reached Wadh along with a delegation comprising Haji Lashkari Raisani, Wadera Mosyani and elders of Sarawan and Jhalawan tribes. He first met Sardar Asadullah Mengal, the head of Mengal tribe, and other elders of the area, who briefed him about the situation.

Nawab Raisani then had a meeting with Shafiqur Rehman. “Leaderships from both factions have agreed to a truce which will continue for an indefinite period,” Lashkari Raisani, the younger brother of Nawab Raisani, told the media.

“Insha’Allah, it will prove to be a permanent ceasefire and soon the issue will be resolved through efforts being made by the tribal elders,” he said.

Mr Lashkari said Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Mir Naseer Mengal are not present in Wadh and after their return to the town they would formally empower the tribal delegation for resolving the dispute according to the tribal customs.

National dialogue In Islamabad, speakers at a gathering said that all the problems of Balochistan had political roots that can be solved only through political means.

Addressing the event titled ‘National Dialogue’ for a new charter of democracy, they acknowledged that the problems of the missing persons in Balochistan and other parts of the country should be solved.

It was organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, National Press Club and Pakistan Develo­pment Alliance to promote the tradition of dialogue between political parties.

The speakers stressed that the need for dialogue had increased as there was a tense environment in society and civil liberties had ended.

Former chief minister of Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said even if other parties did not accept these points, his party will.

Mr Baloch, chief of National Party, said his party considers parliament supreme and people as the source of power.

He said people of Balochistan should be given the right to vote freely.

PPP leader Farhatullah Babar, Senator Saifullah Abro of PTI, PFUJ president Afzal Butt, and Pak­istan Development Alliance chairman Zia Shamoon Hashmi also spoke.

Abdul Wahid Shahwani in Khuzdar and Kalbe Ali in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2023