Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said he will step forward to address the Balochistan security crisis after Eidul Azha, following calls from the legal fraternity urging him to take charge of the situation before it spirals out of control.
President Supreme Court Bar Association Muhammad Rauf Atta and President Balochistan High Court Bar Association, accompanied by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, met Nawaz Sharif at his Lahore residence to discuss the escalating security concerns in Balochistan.
The meeting, requested by Rauf Atta, aimed to persuade the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief to break his political silence and take the lead in resolving the crisis.
Notably, Nawaz – who has largely remained on the sidelines of politics – was reportedly unwell a day earlier and confined to bed rest, which the PML-N cited as the reason for his no-show at the recent Parliamentary Committee meeting on National Security, convened in the wake of the Jaffar Express train attack.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Rauf Atta said they urged Nawaz to take the lead in finding a political solution to the crisis, stressing that this issue was beyond politics.
“We have requested Nawaz Sharif to break his political silence for the sake of Balochistan,” Atta said. “We have asked him to engage Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Nawab Akhtar Mengal, Nawaz Raisani, and other key figures to devise a political solution.”
He said that while they recognised multiple attempts to sever Nawaz’s ties with his people, this time, the stakes went beyond politics.
Atta pointed out the growing disenfranchisement among the people of Balochistan, stating that those in power lacked public roots. He stressed that genuine leadership should be allowed to take charge in the province, unlike the current provincial assembly members, whom he claimed avoid public interaction.
He also stressed the need to activate the local government system to ensure public participation.
The SCBA president further offered the bar association’s platform if Nawaz decides to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) on the issue, pledging to ensure PTI’s participation as well.
“The bar associations are neutral and do not belong to any political party, which is why all stakeholders would respect and acknowledge our efforts,” he said.
Atta added that Nawaz appeared deeply concerned about the Balochistan situation and assured them that after Eid, he would engage Fazlur Rehman and consult Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif upon his return to Pakistan.
