October 12, 2003	Sunday	Sha'aban 15, 1424

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QUETTA, Oct 11: Representatives of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal and Baloch Students Organization on Saturday threatened to observe a strike in colleges in Quetta on Monday if 47 students, arrested for protesting against the construction of the Gwadar deep seaport, were not released immediately.

Speaking at a press conference here, BNP-M’s secretary- general Habib Jalib Baloch and BSO’s chairman Amanullah Baloch accused the government of resorting to what they termed undemocratic methods to force nationalists to abandon their struggle against the port’s construction.

They said that 47 BSO activists were arrested from the Degree College’s hostel on Saturday evening on suspicion of being involved in lobbing a grenade on a police check-post adjacent to the educational institution. The grenade attack had occurred earlier in the day.

Representatives of the BNP-M and the BSO also condemned the government for the hostel’s closure, resulting in expulsion of students, saying that the move was in violation of rules, adding that most of the expelled students belonged to far-flung areas and had no alternative place to stay.

Urging the government to release their colleagues, both the party leaders called for the release of their activists arrested in Mastung, Khuzdar and Jaffarabad.

The government, they said, was trying to sabotage their planned public meeting, scheduled for Oct 17, as well as the BSO’s convention that was to begin in the Bolan Medical College on Saturday.

ARREST WARRANT: Anti-terrorism Court Judge Mohammad Shaukat Rakhshani has issued warrants for the arrest of five men.

Usman Saifullah, Daud Badani, Dr Munir, Maulana Zahir and Malik Ishaq were nominated in the FIRs in the incidents of June 8 and July 4 that claimed nearly 70 lives during attacks on police van and an Imambargah in the provincial metropolis.

The court on Friday ordered to issue arrest warrants of Usman Saifullah, Daud Badani, Dr Munir, Maulana Zahir and Malik Ishaq, for not appearing before the court to face the charges. The court adjourned the hearing till Oct 21.