QUETTA, Jan 19: Members of the Hazara tribe on Wednesday took out a protest rally against the military operation in Kohlu and Dera Bugti and demanded that the government should stop the operation. Activists affiliated with different political groups of the Hazara tribe took out the rally from Alamdar road and assembled in front of the press club to express solidarity with the Baloch people.

The protesters holding placards, banners and black flags chanted slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf and the military operation in the province. They demanded the release of political workers from different parts of Balochistan.

Tahir Khan Hazara, Ali Raza Moghul, Nadir Ali Afaq, Wahid Baloch of the National Party and advocate Sohail of the Jamhoori Watan Party addressed the rally.

Criticizing President Musharraf for targeting three Baloch Sardars in his address to the nation on Tuesday, the speakers said: that if a group of army generals could make the 150 million people of country hostage than the three Sardars also had the right to maintain a grip on their tribesmen.

They claimed that not only political groups in Balochistan were supporting the political struggle of the three Sardars, but also the alliance of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, MMA and Ponam was backing them against those who were exploiting Balochistan’s resources.

The speakers demanded that the government should stop the military operation in the province and resolve the issue politically.