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Baloch nationalists to quit
Assembly
Mengal says parliamentary politics now a
waste of time; rallies across Balochistan condemn killing of Nawab
Bugti
WSN Bureau
 QUETTA: The
Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) announced on Sunday to
resign from the assemblies and the Senate in protest against the
killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti and the “military action” in the
province.
Addressing a protest rally here, BNP Central President Sardar Akhtar
Mengal termed the assemblies “useless in the aftermath of martyrdom
of Nawab Bugti and denial of his body to heirs”. He said that all
the party members of parliament, Nazims and councillors would quit
their posts because “parliamentary politics now remains a waste of
time”.
The rally was taken out by the component parties of the Alliance for
Restoration of Democracy (ARD), the Pakistan Oppressed Nations
Movement (PONM) and other opposition parties to protest over the
killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.
Thousands of people participated in the protest march against the
killing of Nawab Bugti. Besides, the main rally in Quetta, demos
were also staged in Turbat, Gwadar, Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, Sibi,
Chaman, Pishin, Kharan, Noshki and other parts of Balochistan.
The protestors carried placards, containing pictures of Nawab Bugti,
Sardar Attaullah Mengal and other Baloch nationalist leaders, and
banners inscribed with slogans “Shaheed Nawab Bugti Zindabad”, “Baloch-Pashtoon
Ittehad Zindabad”.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Convener Pashtoon Ulas Qaumi Jirga Senator
Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai, Central Secretary- General National Party
(NP) Hasil Bizenjo, Senior Vice-President NP Sardar Sanaullah Zehri,
President PPP Balochistan Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani and Commander
Khudadad Khan of the ANP led the rally, which culminated in the
Manan Chowk after passing through Kandhari Bazar, Liaquat Bazar,
Prince Road and Jinnah Road.
In his address, Mengal said that rulers have pushed the Baloch to
the wall and, at present, they had no option but to resist them
through force. “The rulers understand the language of force rather
than table talks,” he remarked. “The rulers have added another black
chapter in the country’s history by not handing over the body of
Nawab Bugti to his heirs.” Mengal accused the security forces of
shedding blood of “innocent Baloch”.
Nawab Ayaz Jogezai said refusal to hand over the body of Nawab Akbar
Bugti to his heirs was against Islamic, social and tribal laws. He
urged the people form other provinces living in Quetta to come
forward and join hands with Pashtoon and Baloch nationalists in
their struggle for getting rights of the oppressed people.
“Otherwise, they (settlers) would face trouble here,” he added.
Strict security measures were adopted during the rallies and public
meetings in the provincial metropolis on Sunday. Heavy contingents
of the paramilitary force, police and other law-enforcement agencies
were deployed to the routes of the rallies. A senior police official
said that over 2,200 personnel of the law-enforcement agencies were
deployed to prevent any untoward incident in the city.
Meanwhile, People from various walks of the life visited the Bugti
House here on Sunday and offered Fateha for Nawab Bugti. Prominent
among them were former National Assembly speaker Syed Fakhr Imam and
his wife Syeda Abida Hussain, senior politician from Sindh Syed
Zafar Ali Shah, President Awami National Party (ANP) Senator
Asfandyar Wali, former Balochistan Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul
Quadir Baloch, former provincial ministers Tariq Mehmood Khetran,
Sardar Nisar Hazara and Malik Naeem Ahmed Khan, and Maulana Habibur
Rehman.
6 September 2006
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