ISLAMABAD: Reaffirming his Government’s determination to protect Pakistan’s integrity and bring progress, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said in the Senate here tonight [Dec 16] that he wanted a political settlement in Baluchistan. It is my pledge that we want a political settlement, and I will be the happiest man when that time comes, he said… . Mr Bhutto said he would continue [to] search for a political settlement, adding that with a great deal having been done in the economic and administrative fields, he would consider … other measures after the advent of the new year. He said he had not closed the door to political settlement. …

The Prime Minister said he would open the political road when there were appropriate time and conditions… . He said he had tried two or three times … for a political settlement, but the Opposition in their enthusiasm created obstacles and did more harm than any good. … To those comparing Baluchistan situation with that of Bangladesh before separation, he said there was no parallel between the two. He assured the House there would not be any foreign intervention in Baluchistan.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2024