KARACHI, March 13: The Balochistan National Party on Tuesday condemned the government for suppressing the people who refused to follow its dictates and tried to highlight and help solve problems being faced by the masses.

Speaking at a demonstration held at the Karachi Press Club to protest against the government action against Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, BNP leaders Hameed Sajna and others said that the action had been taken against the chief justice because he had refused to take dictation from the rulers.

They said that the government’s action against the chief justice had made the country a laughing stock in the eyes of the international community. They said that the chief justice had started taking notice of and was asking questions about the large number of people taken away by the secret agencies which was an embarrassment to the government.

They said that similar was the case of BNP leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal who had been imprisoned as he also had refused to follow the government’s dictates.

They said that 14 other people who were with Sardar Mengal and had been in custody were missing and the government had refused to tell their relatives about their whereabouts.

They said that a large number of Baloch youth who were demanding their rights had been kidnapped by the secret agencies for a long time and their whereabouts were also not being disclosed which was creating fears in the minds of their relatives that they might have been killed.

They said that if the people who had been kidnapped by the secret agencies were required by the government for any investigations they be formally arrested and tried in open courts.

The protesters also demanded that relatives and lawyers be given access to the people who had been kidnapped by the agencies so that they could be defended properly in courts.

They were chanting slogans and carrying banners inscribed with their demands.