SCBA to convene Baloch leaders' moot
16 July, 2012
ISLAMABAD: In the backdrop of the Balochistan Declaration, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has decided to arrange another conference of local Baloch political leaders in Quetta next month. Talking to our sources, SCBA General Secretary Aslam Zar said that a five-member committee, headed by Jahanzaib Khan Jadoon, had been formed to invite local leadership of the province regarding the matter. "Lawyers' leaders from every district and tehsil bar of the province will participate in the conference to deliberate upon the matter," he said. Zar also said that though the first conference was fruitful, as the civilian as well as military leadership had given attention toward provincial problems and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had stayed for three days in Balochistan, the situation was deteriorating day by day. The SCBA general secretary said that the association had already constituted a free legal aid committee to contest the Baloch missing persons' cases in courts. Regarding the Supreme Court's proceeding on the issues, SCBA President Yasin Azad said that the bar welcomed the chief justice's efforts, but whenever the court resumed the hearing, the situation in the province had worsened. "The Supreme Court has no force to implement its directions, as it is the duty of the executive to maintain law and order with the cooperation of political parties," he added. Criticising opposition parties, Azad questioned why these parties were not expressing solidarity with the judiciary regarding the implementation of its orders on Balochistan. A 15-point Balochistan Declaration was adopted at the first conference, he said, adding that the leadership of all political parties had agreed that the solution of the Balochistan crisis lied in political dialogue. The civilian leadership of the country had agreed that there was a need to make a new contract with the people of Balochistan by taking all stakeholders onboard. The declaration had also said that those responsible for the killing of Baloch leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti, should be arrested and brought to justice. Parallel to political negotiations, all military and paramilitary operations should be stopped and the army and the Frontier Constabulary (FC) be called back, it added. "All political prisoners and missing persons in custody of different state agencies be released forthwith and an independent inquiry commission be appointed and appropriate compensation be paid to the heirs of all those who have lost their lives or have become disabled on account of the conflict," the declaration read. End.
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