QUETTA, Dec 21: Major political organizations observed a black day in response to a call given by the four-party Baloch Alliance and staged demonstrations in protest against the military action in Kohlu.

Activists of the four parties in the alliance Jamhoori Watan Party, Balochistan National Party-M, National Party and Baloch Haq Tawar and the PPP, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Awami National Party and Hazara Organization assembled in the lawn of the city government building, wearing black arm-bands and holding black flags.

They marched on different roads of the city and shouted slogans against the government and the operation in Kohlu. Slogans in favour of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri and Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti were also raised.

Speakers at the rally criticized the use of aircraft and helicopter gunships against Marri tribesmen in the Kohlu district and said that dozens of people had been killed and hundreds other had suffered serious injuries in the bombardment over the past few days.

They demanded immediate halt to the operation in Kohlu withdrawal of security forces from Dera Bugti and said that the Balochistan issue should be resolved politically and use of force would create ill feelings between the Baloch people and the federation.

They alleged that the operation was aimed at annihilating the Marri tribesmen who were playing the role of vanguard in the national struggle of the Baloch people and said that the Marris had bravely defended their area during military operations of 1958, 1962 and 1973.

The speakers said that the Baloch leadership always use peaceful means in the national struggle for political, constitutional and democratic rights but “opportunists and the oppressive government had imposed a war on innocent people to maintain their domination in the province.”

They warned the ruler that unwise and undemocratic policies would pit the federation against the Balochs, Sindhis and Pakhtuns and would endanger the integrity of the nation.

They asserted that establishment of cantonments, construction of the Kalabagh dam and greater Thal Canal were aimed to appease Punjab and the oppressed nationalities would never allow the usurpers to go ahead with the projects.

Habib Jalib Baloch, Agha Shahid Hasan Bugti, Mir Hamayun Marri, Kachkol Ali, Rauf Lala, Jamaluddin Rashtiya, Sadullah Shah, Nazar Baloch, Asif Baloch, Aminullah Kakar and Tahir Muhammad Hazara addressed the rally.

Sources in the alliance said that protest rallies were also held in Khuzdar, Nushki, Sibi, Hub and Makran areas.

According to reports received from Dera Bugti, Baloch women led by Mahin Baloch staged a demonstration outside the press club there and chanted slogans against the operation in Kohlu and reinforcement of security forces in Dera Bugti.

The protesters holding placards with slogans condemning excesses club there and chanted slogans against the operation in Kohlu and reinforcement of security forces in Dera Bugti.

The protesters holding placards with slogans condemning excesses and atrocities against the Baloch people.