QUETTA, Aug 2: A three-member committee of the Balochistan National Movement, headed by Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, held talks with Jamhoori Watan Party Chief Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in Dera Bugti on Thursday to form an alliance to contest the October elections.

The BNM team, which includes Dr Malik Baloch and Ayub Jatak, arrived in Dera Bugti late on Wednesday evening.

After holding talks with Nawab Bugti, Dr Hayee told newsmen in Dera Bugto on Thursday that three political parties — the BNM, the Jamhoori Watan Party and the BNP (Mengal) — had agreed in principle to chalk out a strategy for a joint struggle to achieve the national rights of the people of the province.

He termed his team’s negotiations with Nawab Bugti successful and encouraging. Before coming to Dera Bugti, the BNM delegation also held talks with Balochistan National Party President Sardar Akhtar Mengal on evolving a strategy for launching a joint struggle to achieve the rights of the province and to jointly contest the elections.

Dr Hayee indicated that the three parties might boycott the elections under a strategy. He said the parties had decided to contact with other nationalist parties of the province to discuss the idea and muster their support.

“I hope all nationalist forces and political parties in Balochistan would be united for launching a joint struggle against usurpers, who are denying the political and social rights of the province,” he said, adding that a joint struggle would be launched after forming an alliance.

Nawab Bugti said: “A lot is yet to be done. Don’t deceive the people of Balochistan again and again.”

The Balochistan National Movement chief said Baloch leaders wanted the restoration of democratic order, supremacy of parliament and an end to dictatorship.