QUETTA, Dec 3: The Balochistan National Party (Mengal) on Monday called upon all opposition parties to boycott the elections held under the Musharraf government.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, BNP’s acting president Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldani said his party would abide by the decisions of the All Pakistan Democratic Movement and the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement on the election issue.
He said that the APDM must not compromise on the issue of restoration of the pre-emergency judiciary.
Dr Jehanzeb said that a meeting of the BNP central executive committee would be held on Dec 7 to take a final decision on the polls in line with the decisions of the APDM and Ponam.
He said that several parts of Balochistan had become war zones and the situation was not conducive for polls in the province.
He said that the Election Commission was not an independent body and contesting manipulated polls would amount to endorsing extra-constitutional acts of the autocratic ruler.
Dr Jehanzeb accused that police of registering false cases against workers to keep BNP candidates away from the polls.
He said that 7,000 Baloch activists had been detained and many of them were missing.
He said that the BNP would not give up its struggle against oppressors who had killed thousands of Balochs in the military operation.
Habib Jalib Baloch said that 47 per cent of the Baloch population comprised nomads and they had not been registered in the voters’ list.
He said that about 275,000 people had migrated from Marri and Bugti areas because of the military operation and non-participation of these people would affect the polls.
He said that BNP leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal had been detained in Karachi to keep him out of the elections.
Former chairman of Baloch Student Organisation Amanullah Baloch announced his decision to join the party.
