Cracks appear in Balochistan coalition govt over panel for finding missing persons

Balochistan [Pakistan], January 2 (ANI): Differences in the Balochistan coalition government came to the fore over the formation of a parliamentary commission for recovery of missing persons on Sunday, as the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-Mengal) and Mir Asad Baloch, parliamentary leader of BNP-Awami, opposed the provincial government's move, saying a commission was already working on the issue, headed by Sardar Akhtar Mengal, reported The Dawn.

According to the Dawn report: "The Balochistan government established a five-member high-powered commission two days ago, headed by Home Minister Ziaullah Langove after approval of the Balochistan cabinet."

Provincial Minister for Agriculture Asad Baloch and the Opposition's Malik Naseer Ahmed Shahwani, who are also parliamentary leaders of BNP-Awami and BNP-Mengal, were also members of the commission.

BNP-Mengal, in a statement issued on Sunday, expressed its 'astonishment' over the establishment of the commission at the provincial level. The party said the issue is already being addressed by a commission headed by Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the Dawn reported, adding that the commission was established on orders of the Islamabad High Court.

The commission recently visited Quetta and held meetings with all stakeholders, including families of the missing persons.

The commission will submit its report to the Islamabad High Court after meeting all stakeholders across the country, the BNP-Mengal said. According to the party, the parliamentary commission at the provincial level had been deliberately established to counter the efforts of the commission working under the chairmanship of Mengal.

"This is an attempt to divert the attention from the real issue of missing persons in the province as, instead of recovering the missing persons, the forced disappearances of political activists and students are still continuing," the party was quoted as saying in the Dawn report.

The report further said, "Provincial Minister and Secretary General of BNP-Awami Mir Asadullah Baloch also expressed his ignorance about the formation of the provincial parliamentary commission and said that before announcing the establishment of the commission and making members, he had not been taken into confidence."

"I am not satisfied with such a commission as I believe that no result of such a commission will come out on the issue of missing persons, as did other commissions which were set up in the past," Baloch was quoted as saying in the report.

"It is a waste of time so I cannot become a part of this commission announced by the provincial government," the BNP-Awami leader said, according to the Dawn.

Head of the provincial parliamentary commission, Ziaullah Langove, however, said the commission was established after the provincial cabinet's approval. (ANI)