06 February 2005	Sunday	26 Zilhaj 1425

QUETTA, Feb 5: Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti said on Saturday that the government was making preparations to launch a military operation in Sui and Dera Bugti.

Talking to journalists in Dera Bugti, he said the rulers were waging propaganda about resolving all the issues through negotiation while paving the way for a military operation in the province.

He alleged that negotiations were being used to keep the people in dark until the operation was launched.

He said the president's threats would be implemented as the rulers were planning to "hit Baloch nationalists" and take control of natural resources and coast of the province.

He expressed scepticism about a constitutional package for the province and said the rulers were amending unimportant clauses of the constitution while sidetracking the issues of fundamental nature.

He said that if the government was sincere then it should accept the JWP's constitutional bill pending in the Senate, which suggested about 50 amendments to the constitution.

He said the government was giving the impression that tribal chiefs had made demands for their personal benefit but autonomy and constitutional amendments were being sought for all the federating units.

In reply to a question, Nawab Bugti said he had termed the 1973 constitution incomplete when it was passed and a majority of Balochistan's had did not vote in its favour.