KARACHI, March 4: Nationalist leaders on Friday called upon the government to drop the controversial projects of Kalabagh dam and Greater Thal canal and the plan to set up cantonments in Balochistan.

The demand was made at the end of a rally organized by the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (Ponam) outside the Karachi Press Club.

Addressing the rally, Ponam chief Sardar Attaullah Mengal said that the alliance's struggle for people's rights would continue till its demands were met. He criticised President General Pervez Musharraf's reported claim that 73 sardars were with the government and only three were against it.

"By whatever name you call us - Sardars, traitors or thieves - we have roots in the masses and are voted to assemblies to represent their aspirations. We will never give up our struggle for our rights," he said.

As Sardar Mengal spoke, participants of the rally waved flags of the four parties in the alliance. Before converging into the rally, the participants, including a sizable number of women, marched through the Zaibunisa Street from Regal Chowk where other Ponam leaders Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, Abdul Majid Kanju, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Dr Quadir Magsi, Syed Zain Shah, Qamar Bhatti, Maulana Obaidullah Bhutto and Abdul Aziz Boyo had made speeches.

Referring to recent raids on the Marri Camp in Balochistan, the Ponam chief said that the agencies' personnel had brought weapons which were later shown as having been recovered from the camp. He said that women, children and the elderly were tortured and arrested during the raid.

"Gen Musharraf has declared war against us and we have accepted it ... this declaration is against Balochs, Pukhtuns, Sindhis, Seraikis and all other oppressed people.

"If I die during the struggle, I should not be buried until attainment of rights," the veteran nationalist leader said. He asked women not to pray only for the long life of their children but for a life with honour and dignity.

Mr Achakzai criticized the government for insisting on the Kalabagh dam despite the resolutions adopted against the project by the assemblies of the NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan.

"We will not accept any decision against the resolutions of the assemblies," he said and added that Ponam leadership would meet in Karachi on Monday to formulate a strategy for launching a countrywide movement against the attitude of rulers towards oppressed people. Dr Hayee termed the so-called mega-projects "plans of our destruction". He said people were now alive to their rights.