January 11, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 20, 1427

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QUETTA, Jan 10: The People’s Party Parliamentarians, Balochistan, has convened a multi-party conference (MPC) here on Sunday to discuss the situation in the province in the wake of what it believes escalating military operation and illegal arrest of political workers and develop a unanimous approach to save the federation.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Wednesday, provincial PPP general secretary Bismillah Khan Kakar said the MPC had been convened on the directives of the party’s chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

He said he had recently apprised Ms Bhutto in Dubai of the of the situation and she had expressed concern over the deterioration of the situation because of the ongoing military actions and extra-judicial arrests of Baloch political workers.

He said all political parties in the province except the ruling Pakistan Muslim League and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal would be invited to the conference, which would be held at Sarawan House to determine a joint course of action to force the government to stop the military operation and release the political detainees.

In response to a question, the PPP leader said the PML and the MMA would not be invited to the conference because they were allies of the military government.

He criticised the humiliating attitude of the Karachi jail administration with Balochistan National Party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and said such actions had worsened the situation in the province.

“The unwise policies of the military rulers are pushing the Baloch leaders to the wall, which is not in the interest of the country. If the government does not take remedial steps to improve the situation, anti-Pakistan foreign forces may exploit it,” he said.

He said the rulers should handle the situation with caution.

He said the PPP supported the constitutional struggle of the nationalist political groups in the province.

He said the party believed that the political forces of the country could steer the nation out of the present crisis.