QUETTA, Aug 25: Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf has termed the strike call given by nationalists for Friday an aim to create hurdles in the uplift programme. But the government with the help of people would not permit this shutter-down protest.

The chief minister, presiding over a high-level meeting here on Wednesday, directed the law enforcement agencies to ensure protection of the life and property of the citizens. He warned officials that negligence in this regard would not be tolerated.

The meeting decided that police and other law enforcement agencies on Friday would make additional arrangements to avoid any untoward incident. Jam Yousuf said the government was aware of its responsibilities to protect people and the administration was capable to meet any eventuality.

Some elements, he said, wanted to achieve their political objectives by disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of the province. He appealed to traders, shopkeepers and people to reject the call and discourage elements who were trying to harass citizens.

FREED: Two personnel of the FC and one police constable, kidnapped on Aug 6, have been released by their captors near Barkhan on Wednesday.

Sources said that Khalid Din and Noor Ahmed, of the FC, and police constable Abdul Shakoor have been freed. The sources claimed that tribal elders' cooperation and arrest of some suspects led to their release.