KARACHI, March 2: The Baloch Women Organization (BWO) on Wednesday condemned action against Marri tribesmen in Quetta and demanded arrest of Balochistan IG for, what it called, victimizing innocent Baloch women and children.

At a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club, a spokeswoman for the organization, Bibi Zenab, along with other Baloch women, termed the so-called recovery of arms and ammunition in the action 'a state-staged drama' which, she claimed, was aimed at discrediting Baloch nationalist leadership.

She urged the government to stop the 'state-sponsored repression' against Baloch people in that province and recognize their right on the natural resources of Balochistan. She also demanded that instead of constructing cantonments, the government should use that allocated fund for educational purposes and take Baloch leaders into confidence on mega projects.

The BWO dispelled the impression that women had no role in traditional Baloch society because of tribal bondage, saying that they had always played an important role while observing all social norms of the society.

Maintaining that the women enjoyed a respectable position and nobody could challenge their social status, she said it could be gauged from the Sui incident which had created a great uproar in the province. The press conference was attended by the Baloch National Party leader, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, and many leaders of various Baloch organizations.

The BNP leader gave details of the Marri camp operation, saying that the camp had been established in 1980s for displaced Marri tribesmen when they returned to the province after Taliban take over in Afghanistan.

He recalled that the then army government had itself made special arrangements for their rehabilitation in the suburbs of Quetta. He maintained that the tribesmen had never been a threat to any authority.

He said that the government seemed to be bent upon crushing the Baloch national movement which was aimed at achieving political and economic rights. Regarding the MQM chief's concept of recognizing Pakistan as United States of Pakistan, the BNP leader said that the situation had changed and we must now first recognize the sovereign rights of each nation.

After the press conference, Baloch women carrying banners stage a demo to condemn the military action in Balochistan. They also raised slogans against the government and demanded withdrawal of army from Balochistan. They also demanded that Baloch people be recognized as a nation.