• NP chief urges all stakeholders to play their role in de-escalating conflict
• Party’s Punjab president stresses need for constitutional rights

QUETTA / ISLAMABAD: National Party (NP) President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch warned on Sunday that the situation in Balochistan could further deteriorate if serious efforts were not made to address the province’s problems through a political solution.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta, the former Balochistan chief minister said the conflict in the province was political in nature and could only be resolved through political means.

He said the situation had reached a critical stage, with neither the security forces nor resistance groups appearing willing to engage in dialogue.

Dr Malik urged all stakeholders, particularly political parties, to play their role in de-escalating the conflict and preventing further bloodshed.

He said the NP had presented a 17-point agenda to the federal government aimed at resolving Balochistan’s longstanding political, economic and administrative problems.

Dr Malik also rejected proposals for the creation of new provinces, saying such a move in the prevailing circumstances would further complicate Pakistan’s problems rather than address them.

During the press conference, Quetta resident Mir Ahmed Mari joined the NP along with his friends, relatives and supporters from around 60 families.

Islamabad gathering

The NP has asserted that a lasting solution to the ongoing Balochistan crisis cannot be achieved through sheer use of force, urging instead immediate political dialogue and enforcement of constitutional rights to address the province’s long-standing grievances.

“Balochistan issue cannot be resolved through the use of force. There is a need for political dialogue, constitutional rights, equal representation and economic justice for achieving lasting peace and stability in the province,” said NP Punjab President Ayub Malik.

Speaking at a gathering of NP leaders, workers, journalists and civil society representatives in Islamabad, Mr Malik said the people of Punjab could not fully understand the hardships faced by the people of Balochistan as they had not experienced the circumstances and challenges confronting the province for decades.

He further said Pakistan was a federation comprising different nations, languages, cultures and regions, adding that its strength lay in its diversity.

Mr Malik called for the restoration of scholarships and previous fee concessions for students from Balochistan, saying education was essential to bringing young people into the national mainstream and enabling them to play their role in the country’s development.

He also called for addressing the concerns of local communities regarding industrial development and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying the benefits of major development projects should reach the people of Balochistan.

Mr Malik said the NP would continue to pursue democratic and parliamentary politics, adding that the people of Baloc­histan wanted to remain part of Pakistan, but this required equality, dignity, political representation and economic justice.

He stressed the need for parliament, the judiciary and the executive to function independently within their constitutional domains.

On the creation of new provinces or administrative units, he said such decisions should be taken with the consent of the people and in accordance with constitutional procedures.

‘Difficult circumstances’

Speaking on the occasion, NP Quetta President Mir Attaullah Baloch said that despite extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances in Balochistan, the party had not abandoned parliamentary and democratic politics.

He said the party would continue raising the issues and concerns of the people of Balochistan at every forum.

Referring to the 2024 general elections, he said political workers and candidates in Balochistan had faced extremely difficult circumstances.

Senior journalist Nasir Zaidi said the participation of NP leaders and workers in Islamabad was a welcome sign and stressed the importance of interaction between political workers and the journalist community for strengthening democratic and progressive political thought.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026