QUETTA, Jan 12: Veteran Baloch leader Sardar Ataullah Mengal has ruled out any negotiations and political settlement with present rulers and said that talks will be held along with those who recognise the rights of Baloch people.

There can be no negotiations with the present rulers who are using force to crush Baloch people," he said while talking to Dawn on telephone from his native town Wadh, on Friday.

"We are not ready to waste time and cannot respond to any invitation", Sardar Mengal said, adding that he would be ready for talks on the demands of the Baloch people if some `reasonable’ people came to power.

The former chief minister said that the situation was worsening in the country because the government was planning to launch operations in other areas of the province as in Kohlu and Dera Bugti districts. "Now it will be our turn," he said adding that large contingents of Frontier Corps troops, personnel of Anti-Terrorist Force, Balochistan Reserve Police and regular police had been deployed from Wadh to Kanar area.

He said that recently security forces raided some areas of Wadh and arrested over a dozen people, including schoolchildren and according to his information some of them were released after paying bribes.

Referring to the overall situation in the country, Sardar Mengal said that the rulers were leading the country to complete disaster with their short-sighted actions.

He criticised the policies of President Pervez Musharraf and said that he was confused about his future. "He wants to remain in uniform and also wants to retain the presidentship and all other powers," Sardar Mengal said adding that General Pervez did not want to share power with anyone.

Responding to a question about his son Sardar Akhtar Mengal he said, "Akhtar was kept in isolation" and even his lawyer was not allowed to talk to him.

He said that Sardar Akhtar was suffering from spinal problems but he was denied medical treatment.