QUETTA, Oct 28: Balochistan National Party (Mengal) members on Sunday observed a token hunger strike in the city and some district headquarters of the province to condemn detention of party leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal, arrest of political workers and military operation in Nushki and Kharan districts.

A hunger strike camp was set up outside the press club and the party leaders who observed the strike included secretary-general Habib Jalib Baloch, former MNA Rauf Mengal, former MPA Akhtar Hussain Lango, Malik Wali Kakar and party workers.

Briefing newsmen about the protest, Mr Jalib alleged that Punjab Governor Gen (retd) Khalid Maqbool had hatched a conspiracy to annex Balochistan’s two districts — Dera Bugti and Kohlu — in Punjab and the military operation in both the districts was part of that conspiracy.

He said the Baloch people would foil the ‘annexation plot’ of the Punjab leadership in order to protect the motherland of Balochs.

Mr Jalib said that the party intended to convene an international seminar to draw the attention of international community and United Nations to what he called genocide of the Baloch people by security forces in Balochistan.

He claimed that hundreds of political workers had been kept behind the bar and the basic objective of the government operation was to force the Baloch people to give up their struggle against injustices and oppression.

Condemning the latest operation in Nushki and Kharan districts, he claimed that 70 party workers had been arrested and women and youths humiliated during the operation.

He said the protest outside the press clubs in Quetta, Khuzdar, Nushki, Mastung, Kalat, Sibi, Hub, Makran belt and Dera Murad Jamali was aimed at mobilising the Balochs against what he called state terrorism against innocent Baloch people.