QUETTA, April 22: National Party chief Dr Hayee Baloch has called upon leaders of the PPP and the PML-N to return to the country and lead the anti-government movement.

Addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the party’s executive committee meeting here on Sunday, the NP chief said he would contact Benazir Bhutto and try to convince her that democracy could be restored only when all opposition parties launched a combined struggle against the government.

Dr Hayee said the two-day executive committee meeting of the party discussed a number of issues and decided to convene a conference on the military operation in Balochistan, mega projects, rights of the nationalities, the setting up of cantonments and restoration of democracy.

He said that opposition parties were united on the issue of presidential reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and it was the responsibility of the democratic parties to join hands to free the country of dictatorship.

He said that the people of Balochistan had always rendered sacrifices against the autocratic rule and the mainstream parties should respect the aspirations of the Baloch people and include the question of nationalities in the agenda of democracy.

Dr Hayee said that activists of his party would accord a warm welcome to Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry when he would visit Balochistan to address lawyers in Quetta.

He said his party would hold rallies from April 25 in different parts of Balochistan to express solidarity with the judiciary and to protest against military operation, illegal arrests, mega projects and the setting up of cantonments in the province.

Dr Hayee said the executive committee meeting decided to hold party’s national council session on August 24, 25 and 26 in Quetta to pay homage to Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti on his first anniversary on August 26.

Party’s secretary-general Mir Hasil Bizenjo, leader of opposition in the Balochistan Assembly Kachkol Ali Baloch, MPAs Jan Buledi and Rehmat Baloch attended the conference.