Incessant killings rule out peaceful resolution of Balochistan crisis: Editorial

Islamabad, Feb 17(ANI): The incessant killings by the Pakistan military in Balochistan has ruled out a peaceful resolution of the Balochistan crisis, an editorial in a Pakistan daily has said.

The Express Tribune editorial said the judiciary may be more effective than the legislature in ending human rights violations in Balochistan with Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry ordering the Services Intelligence chief and the military intelligence chief to submit a report on the Balochistan killings.

It said the Pakistan Supreme Court has shown it can ensure that the powerful are made accountable, while citing the contempt of court case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

"The problem, however, is that it may already be too late. Separatist sentiment in the province is now already widespread and nationalist groups have no problem with responding to military violence with violence of their own," the editorial said.

It said Pakistan's National Assembly and civilian leadership has paid little more than lip service on resolving the Balochistan crisis.

The article noted that Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights had urged both the Pakistan government and the judiciary to take concrete steps to stop gross human rights violations by the military in Balochistan when Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced an All-Parties Conference to discuss the Balochistan issue.

It also pointed out that Balochistan package announced by Gilani in 2008, which aimed to undertake real reforms in Balochistan "has been gathering dust, never to be spoken of and never to be acted on again."

"Challenging the US is all well and good, but when it comes to investigating or even simply condemning, the Frontier Corps' policy of extrajudicial killings and illegal abductions, the legislative body suddenly loses its tongue," the editorial said. (ANI)