Balochistan Needs Practical Action and Protection of Rights, Not Slogans: Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch

QUETTA: Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan Emir and MPA Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch has said that the people of Balochistan need practical measures and protection of their rights rather than slogans, vowing that his party will continue its struggle for peace, justice and equitable distribution of resources in the province.

Speaking during a meeting with various delegations and at a gathering in Gwadar, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman said the people of Balochistan had been facing deprivation, underdevelopment, unemployment, insecurity and a lack of basic facilities for decades.

He said Balochistan was rich in natural resources, yet its people continued to face shortages of clean drinking water, quality education, healthcare, employment, electricity, gas and roads. He stressed that the people of Balochistan had the first right over the province’s resources and demanded that a major share of revenue generated from its mineral, coastal and other resources be spent on the province’s development and public welfare.

The JI leader said Gwadar had gained international economic importance, but the problems of its local population remained unresolved. He said fishermen, traders, workers and other residents of Gwadar must be provided their legitimate rights, employment opportunities, businesses and basic facilities.

He maintained that development projects should empower the local population and improve their living standards rather than further deprive them of their rights.

Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman said sustainable development and prosperity were impossible without peace in Balochistan. He called for an end to insecurity, extortion, looting, drug abuse, corruption and mistreatment of citizens.

He urged the government to take effective measures not only to restore law and order but also to rebuild public confidence, stressing that the law should be equal for everyone and that discrimination or injustice against any citizen was unacceptable.

He claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami was among the political forces continuously raising issues of public rights, inflation, unemployment, insecurity, corruption and injustice. He said protests, sit-ins and public outreach campaigns in different parts of the country were part of the party’s struggle.

The JI leader also called on other political parties to rise above personal and political interests and play their role in resolving public problems.

Highlighting the role of youth, he said Balochistan’s young people were the province’s most valuable asset and should be provided employment, quality education, technical training and opportunities for advancement. He also called for effective policies to address the problems faced by women, workers, farmers, fishermen and the business community.

Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman made it clear that Jamaat-e-Islami would not abandon the people of Balochistan and would use every constitutional, democratic and peaceful means to secure their rights.

“We do not want confrontation with any individual or institution. Our objective is to secure the legitimate rights of the people of Balochistan, establish genuine peace, eliminate corruption and injustice, and ensure equitable distribution of resources,” he said.

He urged the people of Balochistan to unite and pursue their rights through peaceful and democratic means, saying that an organised and united public movement could compel rulers to address genuine public grievances.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue working alongside the people to make Balochistan a province of peace, prosperity, education, employment and justice.