LONDON, Dec 27: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the arrest and victimisation of the chief of Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Sardar Akhtar Mengal, and termed it another attack against democratic forces by a military dictator that was bound to further weaken the federation.

In a statement issued by the PML (N) International Secretariat here, Mr Sharif said that Sardar Akhtar Mengal was a patriot who had been the chief minister of Balochistan during the democratic era and was struggling for the rights of his people usurped by a dictator. How could this commendable struggle be against the country, he queried?

Mr Sharif said that the tyranny unleashed in Balochistan by Gen Musharraf had resulted in the murder of Nawab Khan Akbar Bugti and had brought the people of that province on the verge of revolt against Pakistan. Mr Sharif questioned as to whose interests was Gen Musharraf promoting by terrorising the weak.

The PML-N chief said that the nation should be very clear about the direction Pakistan was headed under the dictatorship and realise that unless the course was changed back to constitutional and democratic rule the country could confront a 1971-like tragedy.