QUETTA, March 6: The Balochistan National Party (Mengal) on Thursday held rallies in Quetta and other parts of the province to protest against what it termed denial of proper medical facilities to Sardar Akhtar Mengal, arrests of political workers and the ongoing military operation.

Hundreds of party workers and supporters marched in Quetta, chanting slogans against the government.

Addressing the protesters, BNP-M’s secretary general Habib Jalib said the government would not be able to enslave Balochs and Pashtoons through military operations in Balochistan and the NWFP.

Condemning the arrests of Sardar Akhtar and other party workers, he said it appeared that the government wanted to force Sardar Mengal to stop his struggle for the rights of the Baloch people.

Agha Hasan Baloch, Malik Abdul Wali Khan, Haji Abdul Razaq Lango, Musa Khan Baloch, Arif Lehri, Amanullah Baloch, Majid Malik, Javed Baloch and Sultana Marri addressed the gathering.