March 21, 2008	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 12, 1429

QUETTA, March 20: Members of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal and Anjuman-i-Ittehad Marri held a demonstration here on Thursday to protest against alleged ill-treatment of political prisoners.

They warned that if the jail administration did not change its behaviour in three days they would lay siege to the district prison in Quetta.

The protesters gathered in front of the press club and chanted slogans against the government and the jail administration. They demanded that all political detainees be released and military operation in Balochistan be stopped.

Addressing the gathering, secretary general of BNP-Mengal Habib Jalib Baloch accused the government of having unlawfully detained hundreds of Baloch political workers and they were being victimised by the jail administration.

He said that torturing prisoners was against all laws and it was the responsibility of the jail administration to treat prisoners in accordance with the law and jail manual.

Condemning what he called excesses by security forces, the BNP leader said that the political movement of the Baloch people for their national rights could not be suppressed by use of force.

He said political issues should be resolved through dialogues.