11 April 2004	Sunday	20 Safar 1425

KARACHI, April 10: In his talks with a group of agitating students here on Saturday, Balochistan Governor Owais Ghani said that ban on religious and political processions in the province had been imposed for the protection of the people.

The governor claimed that the ban on processions had been clamped after "consensus with religious elites from both sects".

The governor, who was on a visit to the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, had to face a demonstration by activists of the Imamia Students' Organization while he was about to leave the institute.

During their show of about two hours, the protesting students, who managed to get inside the institute, marched through the passage repeatedly, chanting slogans against the Balochistan government's ban on Aazadari (Chehlum) and Rabi-ul- Awal processions in Quetta. They criticized the government and also demanded the removal of Balochistan IGP Shoaib Suddle.

The governor's protocol which included the police squad from Balochistan, made a couple of attempts to get a safe exit for the governor, but all remained futile. At one stage students denied passage to protocol vehicles and governor's car heading to pick the governor.

The governor held a meeting with the delegation of students. The meeting continued for about one hour, during which students presented their point of view and placed demands as well.

He agreed with the students for reinstatement of Justice Nadir Shah as head of the judicial probe committee in the recent incidents at Quetta but suggested them to delay their demand about action against administrative and police officials till the findings of the judicial probe committee were finalized.

The governor expressed satisfaction over the meeting with the students, mentioning that it helped remove misconceptions, and hoped that they would convey the details to their elders as well.

The ISO delegation was led by the Karachi division president, Mujahid Abbas, and included Nisar Abdi, Raza Jaffery, Hyder Raza and Saqib Naqvi.

Earlier talking to newsmen, Governor Ghani said that the government feared further terrorist activities, including suicide bombings in the province and that was why it had taken stringent measures. However, religious processions and gatherings could be arranged on limited scale in areas which were considered secured or where foolproof security measures could be affected.