KARACHI, July 9: Rich tributes were paid to the person and services of the known Baloch nationalist leader, Waja Yousuf Naskandi, at a meeting which was attended by a large number of his followers and admirers.

Naskandi, who devoted his almost entire life for the unity and welfare of Baloch people, died in May last year.

Recalling his great contribution to the Baloch nationalist movement, speaker at the reference organized by the Baloch Rights Council, founded by Naskandi, Secretary-General of the National Workers Party Yusuf Mustikhan, former Senator Manzoor Ahmed Gickhi, Baloch National Movement leader Lala Munir, BRC leader Wahab Baloch, known Balochi writer Rahim Bakhsh Azad and Nisar Husain Baloch eulogized the relentless efforts put in by Naskandi to create awareness of political and economic rights among the Baloch population across the world.

They stressed the need for unity of Baloch people living in any part of the country so that they could continue their struggle for their constitutional rights collectively and more effectively.

The speakers condemned the successive governments and tyrant rulers for treating Baloch people as second class citizens and depriving them of their fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.

They condemned that the resources of Balochistan were being exploited to the advantage of vested interests.

Reiterating their full support to the ongoing Baloch resistance movement, they asked the military rulers to stop genocide of Baloch people in their own province and recognize their sovereign rights.

They noted that Naskandi, known for his Marxist and nationalist views, had played an active role in Baloch nationalist politics over a period of over four decades. They also urged Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal, founding chief of the Balochistan National Party, to lead the movement.