Bugti says Balochistan will continue peaceful struggle for its rights

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti told the provincial assembly on Thursday that his government would continue pursuing the province’s rights in an organised and peaceful way, while also voicing opposition to the shutdown of private media bureaus in Balochistan and backing journalists affected by job losses.

Addressing lawmakers during the assembly session, Bugti said the provincial government had made sustained efforts to safeguard Balochistan’s financial share. He said the province would have been left with only Rs9 billion in its budget if the proposed federal reductions in its funds had been implemented. He also thanked Ishaq Dar and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for supporting Balochistan’s position on the matter.

Concern over media bureau closures

The chief minister criticised the decision by private media organisations to close their bureau offices in the province, saying journalists in Balochistan were already working in highly difficult conditions because of threats from militants, separatist organisations and political pressures.

He said shutting down bureau offices would further weaken the province’s representation in the federal capital and add to unemployment in Balochistan. Speaking on the floor of the house, Bugti said the province’s concerns must continue to reach Islamabad.

“Balochistan makes up 43 per cent of the country. If our positive voice does not reach Islamabad, at least our concerns should. We will not tolerate this injustice,” he said.

Bugti urged media owners to decide whether they saw themselves as national media outlets or only commercial businesses. He said that if they considered themselves national organisations, they should maintain bureaus at least at the divisional level across the country.

He also criticised media proprietors over low wages paid to local staff, saying some employees in the province were receiving salaries of only Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 despite the owners earning billions of rupees. He said those same organisations were now moving to shut their offices in Balochistan.

Appeal to federal ministers

The chief minister appealed to Federal Information Minister Ataullah Tarar to honour his commitment and ensure that no media bureau in Balochistan was closed. He also asked Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to intervene, noting that even a media network linked to him had closed its bureau in the province.

Bugti said that if necessary, he and other members of the provincial assembly would travel to Islamabad and join journalists in protest. Earlier in the day, journalists under the banner of the Balochistan Union of Journalists boycotted the budget session.