An editorial in a leading Pakistani newspaper has said Interior Minister Rehman Malik's "use of force" option for restoring law and order in Balochistan would not work.

"What is needed here is prevention. The 'Balochistan issue' is entirely different in its complexity from the insurgency raging in the tribal belt," an editorial in The Dawn said.

"Balochistan's woes have been decades in the making and can only be resolved through dialogue," it added.

It also claimed that the Interior Minister appears to be in favour of a Malakand-kind military operation in Balochistan, which it says is only bound to fuel tensions.

"Instead, he should be looking into tracking down those who fund militancy in this country and seem to have easy access to explosives," the editorial said. (ANI)