Nawab Marri opposes cantonments' construction in Balochistan

Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri has said that on one hand President Gen Pervez Musharraf has apologized for the past excesses committed in Balochistan and on the other hand he is determined to establish cantonments in the province to suppress the demands for national rights.

Talking to newsmen at his residence here on Wednesday, he accused the president of trying to deceive the people by apologizing for the past mistakes.

He asked why cantonments were being planned in Kohlu, Sui and Gwadar if the president was sincere in his statement about past mistakes. He said cantonments were established adjacent to enemy's territory.

He said there were ulterior motives behind the establishment of cantonments in Balochistan and the rulers wanted to ensure continued exploitation of the province's resources to benefit Punjab.

He said some political groups were misleading the masses in the name of Baloch nationalism to serve the interests of the oppressors and usurpers.

He said equilibrium in social interaction, respect for each other's rights and self-rule by natives should be the symbols of any country but here Punjab had suppressed the Baloch movement with army backing.

He said Pakistan was a multinational state where the Baloch, Sindhis, Pukhtuns and Punjabis were living on their own lands. He alleged the army and Punjab wanted to colonize the smaller nationalities to loot the national wealth of Balochistan, the NWFP and Sindh without the consent of the owners of the land.

Nawab Marri said people should differentiate between development and usurpation and maintained that the oppressors used the term progress to misguide the Baloch people and exploit the province's oil, gas and other resources, besides using the coastal belt and turning the locals there into a minority.

He said the oppressors would not succeed in subduing the resistance of the Baloch national movement. 9.10.03 Dawn.com