Senator Jan Mohammad Bledi Urges Political Dialogue and Policy Change for Balochistan’s Issues

Turbat:In his speech in the Senate of Pakistan, National Party’s central leader Senator Jan Mohammad Bledi highlighted the ongoing protests and demands by the All Parties Alliance (APA) in Gwadar. For over a month, the alliance has been calling for the removal of barriers to cross-border trade, the elimination of illegal checkposts, and a ban on illegal fishing nets in the Baloch Sea. However, Senator Bledi expressed disappointment that, instead of addressing these demands, authorities had resorted to police action against the APA’s convener, demolishing his house and pressuring him to end the strike and protest.

Senator Bledi criticized the diminishing political space in Balochistan, citing recent reports of widespread electoral fraud in a constituency in Quetta, which sent a message to political parties that there was no room for politics in the province. He further stated that roads in Balochistan are frequently blocked, causing daily hardships for the people. He also raised concerns about the increasing number of disappearances, stressing that the government’s authority had eroded, and the state had failed to fulfill its responsibilities.

He condemned the lack of attention given to the Senate, pointing out that the Prime Minister, despite traveling the world, had not visited the Senate in over a year. Senator Bledi stressed the need for policies to address critical national issues, such as the 25 million children out of school in the country, which he argued should be addressed by both the National Assembly and the Senate.

He also expressed support for the ongoing negotiations with PTI, calling them a positive step but emphasizing that they should be meaningful. He advocated for a reconciliation policy in Balochistan, instead of relying on military operations, and called for the initiation of dialogue to resolve the issue of missing persons.