KARACHI, March 6: Speakers at a grand assembly held here on Sunday evening pledged to work for peace, democracy and restoration of national rights of the "oppressed people".

The event, organized by the Baloch Ittehad Tehrik at the Baloch Chowk in Chakiwara, was attended by different sections of Baloch populace to condole the death of the BIT leader Anwar Bhaijan. Balochistan nationalist leaders Dr Abdul Baloch, Hasil Khan Baloch, Sardar Sanaullah Khan Zehri were the key speakers.

Paying tributes to the slain leader, they criticized the government for its failure to nab the culprits who were involved in his murder. They alleged that the successive rulers were adopting a "biased policy against Baloch people, saying that they were being kept socially backward everywhere. Baloch people not only in Balochistan, but in every province of the country were living under oppressed socio-economic conditions, they added.

National Party chairman Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch warned the rulers to shun the policy of subjugating Baloch, as they were united to protect their land and resources. He said that the rulers were giving a wrong impression that they wanted to develop the province of Balochistan. Contrary to this, the NP leader claimed that they desired to control the resources of the province and they would never succeed in their objective as Baloch were well-aware of the facts and they would frustrate their evil designs.

The leader said no nation could be slaved or ruled by force in this century and if our rulers wanted peace and prosperity in the country, they must recognize the sovereign right of people to manage their economic and political affairs independently.

Maintaining that all tall claims of rulers regarding development in Balochistan had been fully exposed during recent monsoon, he said that the dams and roads they had built were washed away destroying our centuries old villages. He said that the rains had also exposed faulty designs on which billions of rupees had been spent. He said, "We are not against real development provided it is meant for the welfare and progress of the people."

However, he regretted that under the cover of development the rulers had been minting billion of rupees while people were being subjected to poverty and backwardness. In this regard, he referred to the water shortage in Balochistan, saying that our water resources are being wasted due to the faulty policy of the rulers.

Paying tributes to Baloch nationalist who laid down their lives for the Baloch cause, he assured the people that they would uphold the mission of great leaders and continue to work for the well-being of Baloch people.

Referring to the law and order situation in Lyari, Hasil Khan Bizenjo said that the political forces of the locality had stopped playing their due role. He blamed the drug mafia for creating the "present mess" in Lyari, saying that the problem in Lyari was political one which could be fought politically.

Mr Bizenjo was of the view that the actively mobilizing the people and holding mass rallies would help in fighting against the mafia. He said it was the duty of the parties to play their due role for peace. He assured the residents of Lyari that the people of Balochistan would fully support them in their struggle for peace and against the hegemony of drug mafia in the locality.

Sardar Sanaullah Zehri urged Baloch people living in Karachi to join the national struggle of Balochistan. He warned them against "certain forces" who wanted to divide them for their political designs.

Criticizing the Pakistan People's Party, Mr Zehri said that the party had always betrayed Baloch people and did nothing in the past and it had merely exploited the Baloch youth by raising hallow slogans. Assuring the Baloch people living in Lyari, he said that the nationalist leaders would never let them down and would always extend their full support.

The grand assembly was also addressed by the leaders of National Workers' Party including Usman Baloch, Lal Bakhsh Rind, Prof Ali Mohammad Shaheen, MMA leader Mufti Mohammad Usman, BIT chairman Mohammad Hanif Baloch and Danish Baloch who eulogized the services of Anwar Bhaijan for Baloch community in Karachi.

The meeting adopted a resolution calling upon the government to arrest the killers of the BIT leader.