KARACHI, Oct 22: The Balochistan National Party workers on Saturday staged a protest rally to condemn the attack on residence of party leader Sardar Ataullah Mengal in Wadh.

Holding banners and placards, the BNP activists who converged in front of Karachi Press Club raised anti-government slogans.

They termed the attack pre-planned and part of a larger game to flame tribal conflict in the province so as to create a Dera Bugti like situation in Jhalawan area.

The protestors were addressed by party leaders which included Secretary-General Habib Jalib Baloch, Hameed Sajna, Zahid Baloch and others.

Later talking to Dawn, former senator and BNP leader Habib Jalib described the attack on the residence of party leader as calculated, saying that the government is hatching a conspiracy and wants to promote tribal conflict in the area to create a justification for military operation in Jhalawan area after Dera Bugti.

The former senator claimed that under a well-conceived plan efforts were being made to create rift among the Baloch people on tribal grounds and said that the Wadh incident was part of that sinister design.

He dispelled the impression that it was a conflict between two sections of Mengal tribe. In fact, he said, the government was trying to pit one section of Baloch people against another.

The former senator said the negotiation committee set up by the government to find out a political solution of issues relating to Balochistan did not come out with any concrete proposals and the status quo continued.