Baloch are patriotic people, fighting for Pakistan’s progress: PAT

A high-powered delegation consisting of PAT Balochistan leaders and members of civil society visited the central secretariat of the party and held a meeting with central leaders Ahmad Nawaz Anjum and Sardar Shakir Mazari.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmad Nawaz Anjum said that the Baloch people are patriotic Pakistanis and they are fighting the war for Pakistan’s prosperity, integrity and progress. He said that Balochistan is rich in mineral and natural resources, adding that incompetent and corrupt rulers are responsible for backwardness and poverty in the largest province of Pakistan. He said that the road to Pakistan’s progress and prosperity passes through Balochistan.

The delegation from Balochistan consisted of Ismail Noorzai, Bakhtiar Baloch, Syed Subhan Shah, Ghulam Rasool Qadri, Elahi Bakhsh Barwi, Muhammad Saleem Khan, Hafiz Hamid Advocate, and other leaders from Quetta, Pasheen, Loralai, Qalat, Chaghi and Khuzdar etc.

Ahmad Nawaz Anjum said that the Baloch are hospitable, people-friendly and affectionate. He said that Balochistan alone can sustain the whole of Pakistan and for this to be possible, we need honest, credible and competent leadership that has the vision of people’s progress. He said that all of us have to make sure that fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution are available to all people of the country without any exception. He said that poverty from Balochistan and Pakistan can be eliminated provided we can put in place responsive and responsible political system that has the capacity to represent the aspirations of the people. He said that anti-people and corrupt rulers have no interest in the welfare of the masses.

The PAT leader said that the poor are being crushed under the burden of poverty, heavy taxes, unemployment and price hike, elimination of the poor not the poverty continues to be the policy of the rulers. He said that in a country where rulers of the Panama leaks fame are present, how can institutions be independent?

Sardar Shakir Mazari said on the occasion that a country whose half of population is forced to live under the poverty line, the members of legislatures have no qualms of receiving funds of worth billions of rupees in the name of development funds which end up in their pockets. He said that the stories of mega corruption from Surrey Palace to the Panama leaks are spread everywhere. He said that every third person of the country suffers from poverty and the country is ranked at 11th position on the global poverty chart and 60% of the families do not have access to adequate food. He said that WHO has described the food shortage as the biggest threat lurking in the background.