By Ghalib Nehad
QUETTA: Former Balochistan Chief Minister and the chief of Sarawan Nawab Aslam Raisani has said that nationalist politics cannot be done away with and Baloch should get their just rights.
In an interview with Wenews, Raisani said there is a marked difference between the thinking of the establishment and the common man.
The former chief minister of Balochistan said that “the condition of Balochistan and other provinces and federations was not good and this is due to the intervention of the establishment.”
“The establishment is a salaried class. There is a difference between the thinking of the salaried class and the thinking of a political man. A political man forms his opinion by looking at public issues and then acts on that opinion to solve the people’s problems,” he said.
‘Establishment creates and breaks political parties’
Answering a question, Nawab Raisani said that the establishment continues to interfere till today after Mr Jinnah (Muhammad Ali Jinnah). The establishment creates and breaks political parties at will. Then they make these political parties part of different governments, while some in the same party are retained to blackmail them.
‘Failure of policies or political mistakes?’
In response to a question about the failure of state policies, Aslam Raisani said that “it was not a matter of failure, but it is our mistakes. What Zia-ul-Haq did in the Afghan jihad, then Musharraf came, he presented a ‘modern’ view of his own. These are all their political mistakes.”
The former chief minister reiterated that there was a big difference between the thinking of a salaried person, a political person, and a businessman. “If you remove any person from his work and give him some other work, he will not be able to do it,” he said.
According to Nawab Aslam Raisani, the agents of the establishment show up, form political parties, then, after a year or two, these people get transferred. Then another replaces his predecessor and contradictions arise owing to the difference between his thinking and his predecessor.
‘Taliban are political people’
The former chief minister said that (we) have to see these failures due to the blunder of the establishment. See the failures and terrorism. “There is peace in Afghanistan right now and it is our second home and when there is peace in Afghanistan, then there will be peace here too.”
“Compare the situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the situation in Afghanistan is better than ours because political people directly rule it. They call them the Taliban, but I say they are political people,” he said.
‘Imran Khan product of establishment’
Expressing his views about the establishment, Nawab Sahib said that as much damage done to the federation (by the establishment), I do not think, a freedom fighter has done to it.
“Imran Khan is a product of the establishment. Imran Khan won with the establishment’s backing through the rigging, and today, the same person and his party are talking about fair elections. It is a set of contradictions that a product (party) of rigged elections is talking about transparent polls. These are all blunders of the establishment,” he said.
‘Why government wants to arrest Imran Khan?’
In response to a question, Nawab Aslam Raisani said that he could not say with certainty whether or not Imran Khan would be the next prime minister. The tactics that Imran Khan used against the Pakistan People’s Party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and other parties are being used against him today. It should not happen. Why do you want to arrest Imran Khan? Assure him (he will not be arrested) and let him appear (in courts) as much he can.
Nawaz Raisani said Nawaz Sharif was a director in his son’s company. Nawaz Sharif was asked why he did not take his salary. On this, he was removed from the chairmanship of his party. Now, he can never become the prime minister. What is all this happening?
‘Federation should have three subjects’
“Today, we say that federation should be strong, but federation will be strong when you give full powers to the federating units. I think the federation should have three subjects — communication, financial matters and foreign policy. All other powers (subjects) should be delegated to the provinces so we avoid raising fingers at each other, saying “you devoured this and you gulped this.”
He said that the resources that should be spent on solving people’s problems, we are using them for war but fight a war. “Now Kashmir is gone from us. Now there are only two ways to resolve the Kashmir issue; either liberate it or fight, but you are neither liberating it nor fighting,” he said
‘Kashmir can only be won through war’
Nawab Raisani said that “we spend 9 to 10 billion dollars a year on war equipment, but if this money is spent on the social sector i.e. irrigation, agriculture, health, education and other sectors, then it will make the federation goo-looking and striking.”
“Put an end to your wasteful expenditures. I said we cannot win Kashmir through UN resolutions, Islamic conferences, or rallies. There is only one way to get Kashmir: fight or solve this issue by sitting (on the dialogue table).”
‘Nationalist politics cannot be abated’
The former chief minister said that nationalist politics cannot be eliminated. “I am not a nationalist but a truthful. I say what our right is, what is the right of the Baloch, they should get their right.”
“If you have to serve, then, as a nation, you do not say whether he is Pashtun or Baloch. You serve everyone on an equal basis. Governments should formulate their policies keeping in mind the people’s difficulties.”
