KARACHI, July 15 Leaders and activists of leftist and nationalist parties staged a rally outside the Karachi Press Club on Thursday in protest against the assassination of former senator Habib Jalib Baloch, secretary-general of the Balochistan National Party-M. Mr Baloch was gunned down in Quetta on Wednesday morning.

The participants were carrying banners and placards inscribed with such slogans as “Stop killings of Baloch leaders”, “We support the struggle of right of self-determination of Baloch people”, “Stop killings of progressive leaders” and “Arrest the killers of Habib Jalib Baloch”.

Speaking at the rally, representatives of the leftist and nationalist parties described Habib Jalib's killing as a conspiracy against progressive forces.

Paying tribute to the assassinated leader, they said that Habib Jalib was a committed ideological worker who struggled for the cause of the working class and the oppressed people of Balochistan.

Describing the murder as a pre-planned and politically-motivated killing, they said that the services of Habib Jalib would always be remembered.

They criticised the policies of the government with respect to Balochistan, saying that they would fully support the struggle of the Baloch people for their right to self-determination and urged the government to stop what they described as repressive action in the province.

They regretted that the government did not appear serious about finding a peaceful solution to the Balochistan problem. Had it been serious, they argued, the situation would not have deteriorated to such an extent. They said political issues could not be resolved by “brutal force” and only political means were needed to resolve them.

Describing the Balochistan package as insufficient, they rejected the package, saying that the issues pertaining to Balochistan could only be resolved by initiating dialogue with “the nationalist leadership of the province”.

Advocate Akhtar Husain, Yusuf Musti Khan of the National Workers Party, Amin Khattak of the Awami National Party, Nasir Mansoor of the Labour Party, Abdul Khaliq Junejo of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz, trade union leaders Mushtaq Ali, Zehra Khan and others spoke at the rally.