KARACHI, March 15: Leaders of the Baloch Students Organization have announced their full support to what they called Baloch resistance forces fighting for the sovereign rights of Balochistan.

They condemned the rulers and their local henchmen for branding these valiant fighters as terrorists or miscreants.

The BSO leaders were speaking at a rally at Haat chowk in Lyari Town on Tuesday evening. It was the first public appearance of the Baloch youth leaders after 18 years in the old Baloch locality, once a hub of Baloch nationalist movement.

Explaining the objective of the merger of BSO factions, they said the decision had taken in the larger interest of Balochs to strengthen the ongoing resistance movement against the forces of repression and coercion.

They dispelled the impression that the united BSO was established to target the nationalist parties, saying that “we are not against any nationalist party or leader.”

However, they made it clear that the Balochistan issue was not related to autonomy or royalty or development or few Sardars. It was an issue of sovereign rights of an oppressed nation who have been denied rights.

The meeting was chaired by BSO central vice-chairman Dr Imdad Baloch and addressed by its central leaders Wahab Baloch, Zakir Majid Baloch, Mushkoor Anwar Baloch, Hamal Haider Baloch, Hakim Baloch, Khalil Baloch and others.