KARACHI, Jan 16: The chief of the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (Ponam), Sardar Attaullah Mengal, said here on Sunday that no dialogue could be held with the government in view of the fast deteriorating situation in the Sui area.

He said talks could not be held 'at gunpoint' and between unequal sides, adding that if the government was serious, it ought to create a congenial atmosphere.

At the same time, Sardar Mengal warned that in case a military operation was launched in the province, the Baloch people would have no other option but to protect themselves and their land.

He was addressing a hurriedly-called press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday evening. His son and former chief minister of Balochistan, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, was present on the occasion.

Sardar Mengal agreed with the contention of President Gen Pervez Musharraf that it was not the '70s as the situation had changed, but he remarked that the situation was equally different for the Pakistan army.

At the outset of the press conference, the founder of the Balochistan National Party gave an account of the Sui incident in the aftermath of the gang rape of a lady doctor, forcing local people to protest.

Sardar Mengal briefed the newsmen on the progress of talks which the Baloch leaders had held with government representatives, saying that the government's intentions were not clear from the very beginning. It was for this reason that his party had quit the Senate committee.

He said a 10-point programme containing grievances of the Balochistan people were presented to the Senate sub-committee, but since the government was not serious no progress could be made on any issue.

The 10-point demand, he said, included handing over the civil armed forces, Gwadar Port Authority and mineral resources of the province to the provincial government, stopping construction of cantonments and mega projects and giving financial powers to the province and scrapping fake housing projects.

Sardar Mengal said there were objections on every point despite the fact that the government representatives had never opposed these demands publicly. On the contrary, he added, they always supported these demands.

Answering a question, the BNP leader agreed that Balochistan was heading towards a confrontation and ruled out any possibility of conciliation under the 'present circumstances'. He held the rulers responsible for the disturbing conditions.

In reply to another question, he suggested that the rulers should mend their ways if they wanted talks but at the same time, Sardar Mengal said there could not be talks at gunpoint. He said the government had to recognize the fact that all, including those in uniform, were equal citizens of the country.

In reply to a question, he said every Baloch, whether a sardar or a member of any political party, except for ministers, were opposed to any military operation in Balochistan. He was surprised over what he called the silence of Sindhi leaders over the tragic incident of Sui, despite the fact that the victim was from Sindh.

ALTAF: Sardar Mengal appreciated the statement of MQM chief Altaf Hussain for supporting the Baloch at this crucial time. He thanked the MQM chief for taking a bold step on the issue. About Ponam, he said he was contacting the leaders of its component parties for a meeting to discuss the Balochistan situation.