QUETTA, Sept 5: Sardar Mohammad Rafiq Siyapad, the provincial chief of PML-N, has appealed to President General Pervez Musharraf to stop the military operation in Balochistan and release all political workers including those who were held during recent riots.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, he accused PML(Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of misleading the president on the Balochistan issue, instead of using force.

Condemning on the killing of Nawab Bugti, he said that the government should have settled the issue through dialogue.

Sardar Rafiq said our army was a respected institution and Pakistan was dear to everyone but the elements running the government had tarnished the image of the army and were playing with the integrity of the state.

He said that Punjabis living in Balochistan for centuries were always treated as brothers and it was against the traditions of the Baloch people to harm them. “Our people protect our neighbours irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliations.

The PML-N leader appealed to federal and provincial ministers to avoid issuing statements which could provoke emotions of youths angered by the killing of the Baloch leader. He said that everyone should play a positive role to restore peace in Quetta and the rest of the province.

COURT ORDER: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court has directed that a woman recovered from kidnappers be produced in the court on Thursday.