Opposition Urges Dialogue Amid Rising Discontent in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Opposition leaders in Pakistan, including JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PTI's Omar Ayub Khan, call for dialogue with the discontented youth of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They highlight the need for political solutions and urge the government to address grievances and missing persons' issues.

In a recent address, opposition leaders Maulana Fazlur Rehman of JUI-F and Omar Ayub Khan of PTI voiced concerns over the growing discontent in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, urging the government to engage in dialogue with estranged youth, as reported by Dawn.

Rehman criticized the government's inability to maintain control in these regions, citing that armed groups were openly patrolling streets and collecting tolls. He pointed out the extreme stances taken by both sides, which he said only exacerbated security concerns.

Highlighting the August 26 terror attacks in Balochistan, which claimed dozens of lives, Rehman lamented parliament's lack of serious attention to these issues. He noted that political leadership capable of resolving such matters was being sidelined, and emphasized the impact of the US-China proxy war on Pakistan and obstacles to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.

Rehman also touched on the plight of families of missing persons, some of whom had been in the dark for up to 20 years about their loved ones' fates. He stressed the government's responsibility to inform these families.

Omar Ayub Khan, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, echoed the call for addressing grievances and suggested sending a fact-finding mission to Balochistan. He proposed forming a committee to engage with the local populace, acknowledging the genuine nature of their complaints.

(With inputs from agencies.)