Adnan Aamir
Quetta: A Grand Qaumi Yakjehti Jirga (National Solidarity Council) told Federal government that inclusion of foreigners in census in case of Balochistan will not be acceptable.
This Jirga comprised of tribal and political elders of Baloch and Pashtun was held at Sarawan house, on Saturday.
Jirga was chaired by former senator Haji Lashkari Raisani and attended by Balochistan National Party-Mengal chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, former chief minister Dr Malik Baloch, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, Bismillah Khan Kakar of the Pakistan Peoples Party, BNP-Awami’s Syed Ehsan Shah, former caretaker CM Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Barozai, Maulana Abdul Qadir Luni of the JUI-Nazaryati, Hazara Democratic Party president Abdul Khaliq Hazara, Abdul Mateen Akhundzada of the Jamaat-i-Islami and former senator Sanaullah Baloch.
Read also: Delay the Census in Balochistan
Addressing the Jirga, Sardar Akhtar Mengal said that 60% people in different areas of Balochistan have migrated to other provinces due to security situation and conducting census in their absence would tantamount to collective suicide of Baloch.
60% people in different areas of Balochistan have migrated to other provinces due to security situation and conducting census in their absence would tantamount to collective suicide of Baloch – Sardar Akhtar Mengal
He added “According to the Deputy Commissioners as many as 80 per cent people from Sui, Awaran and 40 per cent people from Kech, Panjgur and Bolan have moved to safe places due to security concerns.”
Former Chief Minister of Balochistan said that although Baloch leaders had lived in Afghanistan but they always remained as guests and never asked for citizenship of Afghanistan.
Haji Lashkari Raisani said that “We want immediate rehabilitation and inclusion of IDPs in the census.”
The point of view of National Party on census is that census should be postponed till exodus of all Afghan refugees – Dr. Malik Baloch
Dr. Malik Baloch, former chief minister, said that census is a secondary issue and the real issue is the control on the natural resources. “The point of view of National Party on census is that census should be postponed till exodus of all afghan refugees,” he said.
Moulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, Chairman of Council of Islamic Ideology, supported the inclusion of Afghan refugees in census. He said that Inclusion of Afghan Refugees in census will not have any negative consequence so it should not be opposed.
Inclusion of Afghan Refugees in census will not have any negative consequence so it should not be opposed – Moulana Muhammad Khan Sherani
At the end of the session, the Jirga drafted and accepted a three point resolution which is as follows:
1) Federal Bureau of Statistics and other concerned government departments must take steps to prevent the inclusion of foreigners in census in Balochistan.
2) IDPs of Balochistan should be resettled in their areas and arrangements must be made to include them in census.
3) Teachers, Paramedic staff and other government employees boycotted the last house listing census due to security concerns. Therefore, Government should make arrangements to ensure their security and appoint staff from the concerned districts.
This Jirga demands from the federal government to take the aforementioned steps before conducting census. If these concerns are not addressed then not only census would be controversial but it will also create problems for federation of Pakistan and federal government will be responsible for it.
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