March 27, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1428

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KARACHI, March 26: The Lasbela chapter of the Pakistan Medical Association has given a call for a strike in Balochistan on Tuesday in protest against arrest of Dr Fateh Baloch, medical officer of the Gadani central jail.

Dr Baloch was picked up by police on Saturday, without any arrest warrant while he was on duty at the jail.

The PMA decision to give a strike call was taken at a meeting held here on Monday under the chairmanship of Dr Abass Lasi.

The meeting decided to observe a two-hour token strike daily to register their protest which would be later followed by an indefinite strike if the authorities failed to release the detained medical officer.

Earlier, a delegation of the association called on District Nazim Jam Kamal and informed him about the arrest of Dr Baloch.

The delegation told the nazim that the detained medical officer was being implicated in a false case.

The nazim, according to the PMA district chief, also expressed surprise over the arrest of the medical officer.

The Jam assured Dr Lasi that he would contact the provincial chief secretary and would make every endeavour for his early release.

On the request of nazim, the PMA leader announced that they had called off an indefinite strike and instead would observe a two-hour strike daily as a mark of protest.