QUETTA, Aug 6: An alliance of four Baloch nationalist parties will hold protest demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday and observe a strike on Aug 27 against military operation, 'illegal' arrests and registration of 'false' cases against Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, Sardar Akhtar Mengal and other leaders.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Jamhuri Watan Party Secretary-General Agha Shahid Hasan Bugti said the alliance, comprising the JWP, the National Party, the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) and the Baloch Haq Tawar, believed that political and constitutional issues should be settled through dialogue.

He said President Gen Pervez Musharraf's statement that cantonments would be established in Balochistan at all cost had damaged the environment and made the resolution of issues through political means difficult.

He said that people would resist unlawful acts and wage a struggle to uphold resolution passed by the Balochistan Assembly against the construction of cantonments in Kohlu, Sui and Gwadar.

He said extra-constitutional measures would endanger the existing political order. NP Secretary-General Mir Hasil Bizenjo, BNP-M Secretary-General Habib Jalib Baloch, former chief minister Mir Hamayun Marri, MNA Mir Rauf Mengal, MPA Akhtar Hussain Langoo and former minister Dr Malik Baloch also attended the press conference held at the press club.

Mr Bugti said that in a democratic society the verdict of parliament and assemblies was respected but the military rulers who had captured political power through extra-constitutional means wanted to resolve political issues through the use of state machinery.

He said the alliance would hold protest demonstrations on Aug 9 in front of press clubs in the province and tribesmen would protest in Dera Bugti and the opposition MPAs in the provincial assembly on the eve of the inauguration ceremony of the Sui cantonment on Aug 10.

He said a strike would be observed in the province on Aug 27 and support of other political parties and representatives of the business community would be sought.

Refuting the government's charge that tribal leaders were creating hurdles in the way of development to maintain their grip on tribesmen, the JWP leader claimed that the sardars were struggling to rid the people of slavery that had been imposed on them by army generals.

In reply to a question, he said the government had not formally invited the alliance's leaders for negotiations. He said talks would be meaningless after the president's statement about cantonments.

He alleged that the government was registering false cases against the Baloch leadership, arresting political workers and students and carrying out military operations in different areas to force the patriotic forces to surrender.

He vowed that such tactics would be frustrated and the motherland protected. He said the major projects planned in the province would turn the Baloch into a minority after the settlement of outsiders in Gwadar and other resourceful areas.

He said the nationalists were not against development but they would not accept progress at the cost of the natives. He accused the government of not paying royalty for Balochistan's resources and was denying employment to the Baloch according to their constitutional quota in the services.

He said neither the district nazim concerned nor the Balochistan Assembly was informed about the Gwadar master plan. He said the unconstitutional and undemocratic actions of the military rulers would be resisted and the national rights of the Baloch protected through a political struggle.