14 January 2005	Friday	03 Zilhaj 1425

QUETTA, Jan 13: Leader of opposition in the Balochistan Assembly Kachkol Ali Baloch has criticized what he termed undemocratic and aggressive posture of President Pervez Musharraf to suppress political movements through unconstitutional methods.

He was speaking at a press conference in his assembly chamber on Thursday. The opposition leader said that the Baloch people would not give up their struggle for people's rights.

He criticized the government and said that it was holding talks with the Baloch leadership to resolve issues affecting the province but at the same time the president was threatening the Balochs, adding that it would create complications in the way of settling matters.

National Party MPAs Jan Muhammad Buledi and Rehmatullah Baloch besides chairman of the Baloch Students Organization Asif Baloch, who was released after being detained under MPO, were present on the occasion.

Mr Kachkol criticized the management of the Pakistan Petroleum and said that it was protecting rapists instead of pressing criminal charges against them. Referring to the president's warning about a crackdown, he said that it was nothing new and that Balochs had faced many army operations and had endured excesses in the past.

He said that such moves were futile as the Baloch leadership was still alive but autocratic oppressors had gone. He said that the Baloch nationalists believed in political struggle through peaceful means.