Controversy surfaces as Pakistani MPs Sui visit put off
By Attaul Mohsin Syed - Pakistan Times Staff Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The postponement of Parliamentarians’ visit to Dera Bugti Saturday led to a controversy as the government attributed it to security reasons while the opposition charged that 'the ruling members deliberately delayed the tour to conceal facts.'

The government had promised to send the delegation today, Sunday provided security clearance is given by the Balochistan authorities.

On the other hand, MMA MNA Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and BNP MNA Abdul Rauf Mengal alleged that the security troops’ movement from Kashmor to Dera was one of the reasons for the postponement of the visit.

From opposition, only PPP-P MNAs Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman and Ejaz Jakhrani were present at the airport to leave for Dera. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan was also present who had to represent the ruling parties in the delegation. Federal ministers Sheikh Rashid and Muhammad Ali Durrani were also there to see off the delegation.

Hafiz Hussain and Rauf Mengal said that the PID authorities informed them in the night that the visit has been cancelled. “But in the morning, Sher Afgan and some officials again told us that the flight was ready to leave, on which we rushed to the airport but received information about its postponement.”

Info Minister Briefs Newsmen

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, briefing journalists at Islamabad airport, said due to the non-clearance of security in the tension-hit areas of Balochistan, the tour has to be postponed. As soon as security clearance signal is received, we will re-arrange the tour of Balochistan, he added.

Nearly two dozen media-persons both from national and international organisations were present at the airport. The delegation was to visit Sui where a clash between law-enforcement personnel and Bugti tribesmen took place a few days back.

The government had invited Abdul Rauf Mengal, Imran Khan, Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman and Ijaz Jakhrani from opposition bench with a media team.

Sheikh Rashid admitted that the trip was first cancelled and then the delegation members were informed about it. “Hafiz Hussain Ahmed is not giving the real facts and he does not want to go to Sui,” said Rashid.

He said the PTI Chairman Imran Khan informed him that he could not go to Sui due to personal engagements. “I refused with a contention that the trip is arranged for the members of the Parliament when Imran called to send one of his party men in his place,” he added.

Opposition Reax

The MMA MNA Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and BNP MNA Abdul Rauf Mengal, meanwhile, addressed a joint press conference here at camp office of Pindi Press Club and accused the government 'of complicating the Balochistan problem.'

They claimed that the scheduled visit of Parliamentarians and media-men to Dera Bugti was postponed just to keep them from becoming part of the visiting team in a bid to hide the factual position.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said he and Abdul Rauf Mengal would move a privilege motion in National Assembly as the government, especially Sheikh Rashid, misled them about the visit. “We will raise the issue on floor of the national assembly.”

Imran Khan

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan issued a press statement and criticized the government for politicizing the visit of the Parliamentary Committee to Dera Bugti and Sui as the visit is not meant for political gimmickry but to probe the circumstances that led to the deadly clash resulting in the loss of scores of civilian and military lives.

He said the parliamentary probe committee was formed on the opposition’s initiative. He said, by hastily announcing the visit without prior consultation with the opposition and subsequently blaming opposition leaders for not showing up at the airport shows that the government appears to be interested only in gaining publicity and political mileage out of the visit.

In this regard the PTI chief stated that he has contacted Amin Fahim, head of the ARD, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, President of MMA, Liaquat Baloch and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Parliamentary Leader of the PML [N].

They have all agreed that the opposition leadership would avail the government’s offer to visit Dera Bugti and Sui, however, they would decide on the composition of the Parliamentary Committee and the date of the visit. He said the only way the Committee’s visit to Dera Bugti and Sui can be useful if it is properly planned and organized.

Imran Khan stressed that the visit was not meant to be 'a joyride or a media circus.' The crisis in Balochistan is a very serious issue threatening the federation. The opposition wants an end to the bloodshed, which has caused serious loss of lives, he added.●