QUETTA, March 13: Balochistan National Party-Mengal president Sardar Akhtar Mengal said on Sunday the rulers were mistaken if they thought that excesses and oppression would undermine the national struggle of the Balochs against the usurpation of their resources.

Speaking at a public meeting at the Dera Allahyar railway ground, he accused the government of pushing the Balochs to the wall by insulting women and arresting innocent youths. This, he warned, would further exacerbate the existing unpleasant situation in Balochistan.

He said history was a witness to the sacrifices rendered by the Balochs against the autocratic rulers and military dictators, and pointed out that the oppressors had failed to suppress the democratic movement of the Balochs for achieving the national rights.

Referring to the mega projects, Sardar Mengal said the usurpers had plans to capture the resources of the province besides settling outsiders in Gwadar to imbalance the demographic ratio. But, he added, the government would not be allowed to implement their plans.

He said Balochistan was passing through history’s worst crisis as the language, culture and traditions of the Balochs were endangered, and called upon all Baloch political parties and groups to unite for a joint struggle against the oppressors.

Accusing the government of ignoring the Balochs in all fields of life, the BNP-M chief said the rulers were reluctant to change their attitude towards Balochs without realizing the consequences for the integrity of the country.

The former chief minister recalled that the assemblies of three provinces had adopted resolutions against the construction of Kalabagh dam and the Balochistan Assembly had also passed a resolution rejecting the establishment of cantonments in the province but the establishment was not interested in respecting the aspirations of the elected assemblies.

He criticized the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leadership for backing the 17th amendment and maintained that had the religious alliance not voted for the Legal Framework Order the situation would have been different today.

BNP-M’s secretary-general Habib Jalib Baloch, Dr Jehanzeb Baloch, Malik Wali Kakar, Prince Musa Jan Baloch and BSO chairman Amanullah Baloch also spoke on the occasion.