April 30, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1427

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QUETTA, April 29: Doctors called off their strike on Saturday following assurances by the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court and the provincial chief secretary to redress their grievances.

A delegation of the Balochistan chapter of the Pakistan Medical Association met Chief Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai and Chief Secretary K.B. Rind and discussed problems faced by doctors. The delegation was led by PMA Balochistan president Dr Naeem Agha

The chief secretary and officials of home and health departments would again meet PMA representatives on Tuesday.

Later, the PMA’s general body called off the strike that lasted four days.

FARMERS’ PROTEST: About 300 farmers on Saturday protested against prolonged loadshedding and observed a token hunger strike on the call of the Balochistan Zamindar Action Committee for acceptance of their demands.

The protestors established a camp in the lawn of the district city government office.

Representatives of political parties, including the BNP (Mengal), the PMAP, the ANP, the nazim of the Zarghoon town and councillors visited their camp to express solidarity.

Protesters said that they would hold protest meetings on May 1 and 2 in Mastung and Pishin, adding that they had incurred huge financial losses because of prolongd loadshedding.

The protestors’ demands included full restoration of power supply to famrers, action against police officials who fired at farmers at Yaro, compensation to people injured in the Yaro incident, withdrawal of FIRs against farmers and writing off agricultural loans.