QUETTA, March 7: Opposition parties in the Balochistan assembly accused the government of kidnapping MPA Saleem Khosa in a bid to defeat JWP candidate Agha Shahid Bugti in the senate election.

The president of the National Party, Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, levelled the allegation on behalf of an alliance of four opposition parties at a press conference here on Monday.

Leader of Opposition Kachkol Ali, Agha Shahid Bugti, Akbar Mengal, Akhtar Hussain Lango and other opposition leaders were present on the occasion.

Dr Abdul Hayee said that Mr Khosa had been missing since morning and “we think that personnel of a secret agency have kidnapped him so that the JWP candidate could be defeated in the election”.

He warned that such tactics of the government and secret agencies would worsen the situation in the province which was already facing a military operation.

“Nobody has the power to kidnap nationalists except secret agencies,” Dr Hayee Baloch said, adding that despite political differences the province had its own traditions and values which must be honoured.

He said that by fielding joint candidates, the opposition had proved that it was united and the government had failed to create differences in its fold.

The secretary general of the JWP, Agha Shahid Bugti said that he had no information about Nawabzada Balach Khan Marri for the past three months, and added that the government had registered many cases against him and as such it was not possible for him to come to cast his vote.

However, soon after the opposition’s press conference, Mir Saleem Khosa arrived at the Balochistan assembly to cast his vote. He refused to say where he had been the whole day.