Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Attack on Sui gas installations: Musharraf warns Baloch nationalists
* President says Benazir and Nawaz will not return
ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf has warned Baloch nationalists to stop targeting gas facilities in Balochistan, saying they could face dire consequences if they did not stop their attacks.
"Don't push us ... it is not the 1970s when you can hit and run and hide in the mountains. This time you won't even know what has hit you," Musharraf told Geo television in an interview on Tuesday. He was referring to a 1970s military operation to quell a rebellion in the province by a group seeking independence.
"There are some sub-nationalists and some call themselves nationalists. And we are closely watching their activities. I have been warning them time and again. I warn them through you, do not push us," Musharraf said. His comments came after assailants fired more than 200 rockets targeting a natural gas facility in Sui.
Gen Musharraf was sure that former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif would not return to Pakistan any time soon. "One thing is clear, that both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif will not return."
He said Benazir went into exile before he came to power. "We don't have any objection if she wants to return, but I think she will not come as she always states that she will come at an appropriate time," he said. He said Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif went abroad by choice and could not come back.
He confirmed he had made telephone calls to Nawaz and Shahbaz to condole the death of their father. "Yes. I did call Shahbaz Sharif and he wanted me to also call Nawaz Sharif and I did it on his request, despite the fact that he masterminded the plan to hijack a PIA plane in the sky," he said, referring to an incident just before the coup of October 1999 when the flight he was on board was prevented from landing at Karachi.
"I only offered condolences and did not discuss any other thing," the president said.
Asked about the Sharifs' claim that they were sent in exile forcibly, Musharraf said, "They were happy when they landed in Saudi Arabia."
Musharraf said it was wrong to say the Kalabagh Dam project had been abandoned. "We are waiting for the report of a technical committee to look into the provinces' objections to the dam.
"In my opinion the government needs to seek public opinion on the issue. We have to create awareness at the grassroots in the provinces of Sindh and NWFP. We have to tell them that their doubts and apprehensions on the construction of the dam are incorrect.
"I do not understand why the people of Sindh are raising objections to the construction of Kalabagh Dam, when the project will be giving them the most benefit," he said.
He said he would personally look into objections to the construction of Kalabagh Dam including the general opinion of the people of Sindh and NWFP. "The final decision for the construction of the dam will be taken after complete satisfaction of the people of Sindh."
The president also praised the performance of the government of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. He accused the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal of violating its commitment on the uniform issue.
sana/nni
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