17 January 2005	Monday	06 Zilhaj 1425

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QUETTA, Jan 16: The situation in Sui was improving but a complete normality has not yet been restored as atmosphere is still tense in view of the strict security measures adopted by law-enforcement agencies to check the activities of tribesmen, reports reaching here said on Sunday.

The reports say that al though shops in the Sui town were opened for some hours, there was still fear among the people because of uncertain conditions. The Corps Commander of Quetta, Lt-Gen Hamid Rab Nawaz, visited the Sui plant and gas fields on Sunday and discussed the situation with officials of the local administration.

District Coordination Officer of the Dera Bugti, Abdul Samad Lasi, told Dawn by telephone that repair work on the gas plant was in progress but it might take a few weeks to complete as the plant had been badly damaged in the firing.

Replying to a question, the DCO said that no house-to-house-search was conducted in the area and maintained that checking of vehicles and patrolling of the area by the personnel of law-enforcement agencies were necessary to restore law and order in the Sui area.

About arrests of people involved in the attacks, Mr Lasi said that so far no one had been arrested. Meanwhile, representatives of the four-party alliance on Sunday formally invited political parties to an all-party conference to be held at the MPA hostel on Tuesday to discuss the Sui situation, particularly deployment of regular troops in the Dera Bugti.

Sources told Dawn that the APC would chalk out a joint strategy to counter any government plan to resolve political issues through the use of force to undermine the struggle of the Baloch people.

The sources said that Senator Sana Baloch of the BNP-Mengal, National Party leader Ayub Jatak and Sohail Rajput of the Jamhoori Watan Party met the representatives of political groups and delivered invitation to MNA Maulana Noor Mohammad of JUI-F, Akram Shah of PMAP, Arbab Zahir Kasi of ANP, Saidal Khan of PML-N and Maulana Abdul Haq Hashmi of Jamaat-i-Islami for the APC. The remaining political parties would be extended invitation on Monday.