QUETTA, May 4: The Awami National Party (ANP) took out a procession against price hike, unemployment, lawlessness and corruption.

Protesters, holding placards inscribed with slogans against increase in prices of essential commodities, raised slogans in favour of party leaders Khan Wali Khan and Asfandyar Wali.

Speaking to the protesters, provincial ANP president Malik Ghulam Sarwar Piralizai and central vice-president Arbab Zahir Kasi alleged that real powers were in the hands of the establishment and army generals. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the PML-led coalition were showpieces to deceive the people, they added.

They said parliament was subservient to one person who took all important decisions related to political, economic and foreign affairs. The anti-people economic policy of the Musharraf government was the cause of price hike and unemployment.

The ANP leaders were also critical of the elected representatives of opposition parties in parliament. They were doing nothing to force the government to pursue pro-people policies to help the nation rid of unprecedented price-hike, said the leaders.

Without a sovereign parliament, independent judiciary, free press and maximum autonomy to the provinces, the country could not be steered out of chronic problems confronted by the people.

They regretted poor condition of roads in Quetta and national highways, accusing ministers and bureaucrats of misappropriation of funds allocated for the improvement and construction of the roads.

They demanded that the government should hold a census in the Pukhtun areas of Balochistan as official counting process in 1999, could not be carried out in Pukhtun districts due to boycott by a political party. Their population could not be counted, which was depriving the inhabitants of their share in funds and seats in professional institutions, they said.

MINE BLAST: A Quetta Electricity Supply Company (Qesco) official was seriously injured on Wednesday in a landmine explosion in Barkhan area, some 350-km northeast of here.

Sources say a landmine had blown up when a team of Qesco sub-division Kohlu was repairing four towers of 33-KV transmission line damaged by unknown saboteurs last month. The injured, identified as Murad Ali, was taken to Barkhan hospital.

“Murad Ali lost a leg in the blast,” Qesco spokesman Jibrail Khan said and added that he had been shifted to Multan for further treatment.

Meanwhile, levies force have arrested officials of the bomb disposal squad who gave clearance to Qesco for launching repairing work after checking the area.