QUETTA, Jan 21: Opposition parties in a resolution adopted at a public meeting held here on Sunday severely criticised the military operation in Balochistan and urged the government to immediately stop what it called extra-constitutional steps. It also called for release of political workers.

National Party president Dr Hayee Baloch presided over the meeting in the Liaquat Park. Leaders of the People’s Party Parliamentarians, Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Jamhoori Watan Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N addressed the gathering.

The resolution said that thousands of people of Bugti and Marri areas were forced to move to other places due to the military operation and were leading miserable life. It said the government had failed to provide any help to the affected people.

Another resolution condemned what it called extra-judicial arrests of political activists, including BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal. It alleged that political workers were being tortured in prisons.

It urged the government to release all political detainees, including Sardar Mengal and PML-N leader Javed Hashmi, or produce them in courts in conformity with legal requirements. It said family members of the detainees should be allowed to meet them in jails.

The meeting also criticised the government for its insistence on carrying out controversial projects, including the Gwadar port, establishment of cantonments in Balochistan and construction of the Kalabagh dam, and demanded that the projects should be shelved.

It opposed the fencing and mining of borders with Afghanistan and demanded that the government should review the policy.

It urged the government to allow PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif to return to the country.

Dr Hayee of the NP, Nawabzada Lashkari Khan Raisani of the PPP, Malik Wali Kakar of the BNP-M, Qadir Agha of the PMAP, Ayaz Swati of the PML-N and Sohail Rajput of the JWP were among the speakers.

They said the meeting was held to expose what they called excesses of the government. They said the opposition parties from Gwadar to Zhob were united and would struggle against the policies of the military government.

They said the rulers had not learned any lesson from past mistakes because of the country was facing a situation of crisis and turmoil. They pledged that they would not compromise on political and democratic rights of the people.