March 26, 2003	Wednesday	Muharram 22, 1424

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HYDERABAD, March 25: The Naib district Nazim Nawab Rashid Ali Khan on Tuesday deplored the mysterious disappearance of Akhtar Baloch, a journalist and activist of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s Special Task Force, saying that if he had been arrested, proper charges should have been brought against him.

Ruling on a call-attention notice, tabled by Mohammad Yousuf Qureshi, he said that facts regarding his disappearance should be made public, adding that if Baloch had been kidnapped then efforts should be made for his immediate release.

Earlier, Mr Qureshi said that Mr Baloch was missing for the past three days, adding that despite on-going protests against his kidnapping / disappearance, his whereabouts remained unknown. He called upon the district government to make efforts for his release.

Meanwhile, a large number of journalists, under the banner of the Hyderabad Union of Journalists, observed a token hunger strike against the kidnapping of Mr Baloch.

The union also held a meeting and warned that if Mr Baloch was not recovered in 72 hours, scope of the protest would be enlarged to entire Sindh.