11 November 2004	Thursday	27 Ramazan 1425

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QUETTA, Nov 10: The Balochistan National Party (Mengal) on Wednesday demanded that the government should immediately suspend work on the under-construction Gwadar seaport and rescind its decision to establish cantonments in the province so that a congenial atmosphere could be created for resolving political issues through negotiations.

BNP-M secretary-general Habib Jalib Baloch told a news conference at the Quetta Press Club that the Baloch people would never allow a change in the demographic structure of the province under cover of the mega-uplift programme being undertaken by the government.

Accompanied by Senator Sana Baloch, the secretary-general said that statements by Port and Shipping Minister Babar Ghori and ISPR chief Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan insisting on the continuity of these projects had violated an understanding relating to the parliamentary sub-committee that had been assigned to make recommendations on the issue.

He criticized Mr Ghori and Gen Sultan for dubbing nationalist political parties as anti-state and said their statements showed that rulers were not sincere in their attempt to tackle political issues through talks.

Mr Jalib pointed out that the alliance of four Baloch parties was firm in its stand on the political issues facing the Baloch people and it had already presented its eight demands to the government.

He hoped that the government would take steps to create an atmosphere of confidence on these issues.

He demanded that Afghan refugees living in the province should be repatriated to Afghanistan.