KARACHI, Aug 31: The Sindh Qaumi Ittehad, a conglomerate of various nationalist parties, staged a big protest rally here on Thursday where speakers held the military rulers responsible for the Kohlu tragedy and called upon people of Sindh, Balochistan and the NWFP to launch a massive movement.

They urged people of smaller provinces, particularly activists of all nationalist parties, to forge unity in their file and rank to deal a severe blow to the military-led government in order to get all their constitutional rights restored and gain control of the resources of their respective provinces after getting rid of the military dictatorships once and for all.

The rally, which was held at the Regal Chowk to condemn the killing of Baloch nationalist leader and chief of Nawab Akbar Bugti in a military operation in Kohlu on Saturday, was led by Gul Mohammad Jakhrani of the Sindh National Front and Abdul Khaliq Junejo of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz.

Participants of the rally were waving flags of Sindh National Front, Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, Awami Tehrik and other nationalist parties. Many of them were carrying placards inscribed with slogans against the government and Gen Musharraf.

Addressing the rally, nationalist leaders declared that Nawab Akbar Bugti had become immortal by laying down his life for the rights of his people. They said that he had now become a symbol of struggle by all oppressed nations.

Abdul Khaliq Junejo said that the Kohlu operation against a politician and his companions proved that the affairs of the state were being run with the might of weapon and civilian leadership was made to come to the military rulers’ terms at gunpoint.

He said that Gen Musharraf had threatened Baloch nationalist leaders with weapons and the Baloch leaders had responded with a warning that the power of people would prevail upon the power of gun. “Now when the general has resorted to eliminate the Baloch leader, it was the people’s turn to respond suitable to his challenge,” he said, adding that in a struggle for rights, people always emerged victorious.

Gul Mohammad Jakhrani said that Nawab Bugti had been killed when the army used missiles to blow up the cave he had been occupying. Paying tributes to the Baloch leader for showing great courage and bravery, he deplored the rulers for their continued repression aimed at establishing Punjab’s hegemony across the country. Nawab Bugti was eliminated for defying the rulers’ designs, he alleged.

Veteran politician Mairaj Mohammad Khan said that Bugti lived with dignity and laid down his life without compromising on his dignity. He castigated the rulers for maintaining that Baloch nationalist leaders had created ‘a state within a state’ and they were defying writ of the state, and argued: “Do the military rulers have the right to rule over the country by trampling over the country’s Constitution and deposing a government elected by the masses?”

He said Akbar Bugti deserved praise for mobilising oppressed people in every street of Balochistan to rise up against the tyranny and become symbol of bravery by laying down his own life.

Osman Baloch (National Workers Party), Ayub Sher, Noor Mohammad Jamali, Elahi Bux, Saleem Akhtar , Ejaz Khan Santio and Marium Palijo were among others who addressed the rally.