QUETTA, Oct 28: The three-day Amn Mela and Quetta-Ziarat peace cycle rally concluded here on Sunday with a pledge to make collaborative efforts to restore peace in Balochistan.

Taraqee Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, had organised the event in collaboration with other welfare organisations.

Several government organisations and NGOs had set up stalls at the festival and over 150 cyclists took part in the rally titled “Cycling for Peace”.

During the festival, a large number of players took part in events of sports, including cricket, squash, football and badminton.

Abdul Raheem Ziaratwal, a provincial minister, was chief guest at the festival.

Speaking at the festival and later talking to reporters, Mr Ziaratwal praised the organisers and said it was encouraging to organise healthy activities under the prevailing law and order situation in the province.

He said by organising peace activities in Ziarat the elements who attempted to disfigure the beautiful face of Juniper valley and harm social values had been defeated.

The minister said such programmes would help promote peace and healthy activities, discourage use of narcotics and eliminate social evils.

Mr Ziaratwal said the provincial government had been endeavouring to restore peace in the province.

He said a committee had been set up to prepare agenda of an all-party conference to be held in December in Quetta and make other arrangements for it. He said all political, nationalist and religious parties would be invited to the conference.

Earlier, Amjad Rasheed spoke about the objective of the peace festival and cycle rally.

“The only message we wanted to convey was that the people of Balochistan are peace loving and they want peace,” he said.