THE death of veteran Baloch leader and President of National Party Mir Hasil Bizenjo is, indeed, a great loss given his versatile personality and the stature he enjoyed in the national politics. It is because of the respect he commanded that his death is being condoled by all political leaders and different segments of the society.
Longevity notwithstanding, life ultimately has an end but death of people who influence the course of events in a positive way is always agonizing. Mir Hasil Bizenjo was, of course, a nationalist and championed the cause of rights of people of Balochistan throughout his life but unlike some other leaders he did so while remaining strictly within the ambit of the Constitution and the law. His love and loyalty for Pakistan was beyond any doubt and he often played useful role in defusing highly critical political and law and order situations. His selfless contribution to the cause of Pakistan and democracy made him a revered politician, which itself is a tribute to his leadership qualities. His viewpoint on the issue of repatriation of Afghan refugees also reflected mainstream thinking as he called for their early repatriation as situation in neighbouring Afghanistan has stabilized considerably and there was hardly any justification for their overstay. He was an honest leader and a firm believer in politics of principles and that is why his party never hesitated in joining mainstream parties for the cause of the country. His death is untimely in the sense that Balochistan was passing through a period national integration and the country needed voices of reasoning and rationality for this cherished objective. We join the nation in mourning his death and expect that his party would continue journey on the path charted out by him.
