DERA GHAZI KHAN, Sept 1: Most of the people of Dera Ghazi Khan city (the Baloch-dominated area) did not respond to the appeal made by the All-Parties Conference to observe strike and express solidarity with the aggrieved people. Almost all the markets remained open.

However, dissenters threw traffic out of gear on the inter-provincial Dera-Quetta Road for eight hours and staged demonstration in Kher Fort Munro (the centre of the Leghari tribe) during which they chanted slogans against Gen Musharaf and Shaukat Aziz and burnt their effigies.

Scores of MMA and ARD activists took out procession and hauled the government over the coals for the brutal act. They urged the countrymen to stand up against the military government.

At Fort Munro - the stronghold of Legharis — tribal people took out a protest procession and burnt the effigies of the president and the prime minister. They demanded evacuation of Bugti refugees (Masoori Bugtis) from Fort Munro-Khar who had ‘celebrated’ the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti.

Meanwhile, people in other areas offered in-absentia funeral prayers for the late Bugti.

When contacted, political assistant to tribal area and Border Military Police & Baloch Levy commandant Naeemullah Bhatti denied that the protestors burnt effigies. He said the locals claimed that Bugti refugees had celebrated the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti.

protest: The employees of revenue department on Friday protested against the DCO who had adjusted the employees of defunct Dera Ghazi Khan Municipal Committee into revenue department instead of actual department - the Tehsil Municipal Administration.

They wore black armbands to express their anger against DCO Pervaiz Khusro.

APCA divisional president Nazar Mohammad told Dawn that the protest would continue till the acceptance of workers’ demand.

DCO Khusro is on a contract.