Kayani backs Balochistan8217;s solution within Pak constitution

The army will 8220;fully support any political process as long as it is within the Constitution8221;,the powerful army chief said before leaving for an official visit to Russia yesterday.

Observers said Kayani8217;s remarks were clearly aimed at dispelling the impression that the security establishment was a hurdle in the resolution of Balochistan8217;s problems.

Unnamed military official told the media that recent criticism of the army by political leaders had compelled Kayani to issue the policy statement.

Balochistan8217;s problems including the issue of hundreds of 8220;missing persons8221; or those detained without charge by security and intelligence agencies have been in the limelight since the Supreme Court began suo moto proceedings on the law and order situation in the province.

Baloch leaders say hundreds of members of nationalist groups have been detained without charge by security agencies.

The bodies of nearly 300 of these 8220;missing persons8221; have been found dumped across Balochistan since last year.

Former chief minister Akhtar Mengal recently ended a three-year self-imposed exile and flew to Pakistan to depose in the Supreme Court before a bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry that is hearing the suo moto case on Balochistan.

Mengal proposed a six-point charter,including an immediate end to all military operations in Balochistan,a fair trial of all missing persons and an end to 8220;death squads8221; allegedly operating under the supervision of intelligence agencies.

The military denied Mengal8217;s allegations about the existence of 8220;death squads8221;.

An unnamed military official told The Express Tribune that the army supports a political process in Balochistan but has reservations on some issues.

8220;The demand for international arbitration on Balochistan and portraying the issue as if it is between two states is not acceptable,8221; the official said.

He claimed no overt or covert military operations were underway in Balochistan.

The influential Dawn newspaper quoted Kayani8217;s close aides as saying that his statement was a rejoinder to Mengal8217;s six-point charter and to statements by other political leaders.

8220;An impression is being created that some political initiative is in the works but being blocked by the army,8221; a senior unnamed security official said.