October 30, 2002	Wednesday	Sha’aban 23,1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

QUETTA, Oct 29: The Balochistan National Party (Mengal) has announced that its elected members would not take oath until the Frontier Corps officials, who have been named in the FIR for killing two men in Panjgur, were not arrested.

Speaking at a joint news conference the MNA-elect Abdul Rauf Mengal and two MPAs-elect Akhtar Hussain Lango and Mohammad Akbar Mengal condemned the Panjgur incident and said that it was not the first time that the FC men have killed innocent citizens.

They said that the people of Panjgur have nominated a commissioned officer and another official of the Frontier Corps in the FIR, but no arrests have been made so far.

“We will not take oaths of our office until both the officials were arrested,” they said, and demanded that the fort of the Frontier Corps be closed to all district headquarters should be shifted and its strength, including Coast Guards, be reduced by 50 per cent.

They suggested that a new force comprising the people of Balochistan should be established at the local level after abolishing the Frontier Corps which comprises people from outside the province. They further demanded that local youths should be inducted in Coast Guards, Maritime Security Agency, and other administrative forces deployed in the coastal areas.

They also demanded that the government pay Rs1 million compensation to each victim’s family.

Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, central organizer of his own group of Baloch Students Organization criticized the government for arresting the central leaders of BSO after the Panjgur incident.

He demanded that the cases against them and other workers be withdrawn.

He said that Dr Allah Nazar announced that if their demands were not met they would hold protest rallies in every city.

Amanullah Baloch, chairman of another BSO group, said that they would observe “Black Day” on Nov 2, and will hold rallies on Nov 5.