HYDERABAD, Aug 27: Elected representatives, leaders of political parties and people belonging to various walks of life on Sunday condemned the killing of Jamhori Watan party chief Nawab Akbar Bugti and his associates in Balochistan.

Processions were taken out in several towns of Sindh in protest against the military action.

MNAs Khursheed Shah, Mir Aijaz Jakhrani and PPP CEC member Islamuddin Shaikh, in fax messages sent to Dawn, condemned the killing of JWP chief Nawab Akbar Bugti at the hands of law-enforcement agencies and termed it a great loss.

They said that Nawab Bugti was a man of principle who never bowed down to designs of the government.

They said that he always fought for the just rights of the Baloch.

They termed the killing of Nawab Bugti the second biggest political killing in the country after the murder of Z. A. Bhutto at the hands of an army dictator.

They said that the situation in Balochistan would worsen further and the military action had put the country’s integrity and solidarity at stake.

Jamaat-i-Islami Sindh president MNA Asadullah Bhutto said that Gen Musharraf was not a political person as he wanted to resolve the issues through gun.

Expressing his sorrows over the killing of Nawab Bugti, he said that a patriot leader had been killed in military operation which was highly condemnable.

He said that the recommendations of parliamentary committees on the Balochistan issue were not implemented.

He said that the murder of Nawab Bugti would add to liberation forces.

SOOMRO: Former National Assembly speaker Illahi Bux Soomro said that the Balochistan situation would further deteriorate after the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti.

Talking to reporters at his residence, he said that the killing of Nawab Bugti was a great tragedy for the country.

He said that the government had done unconstitutional act by killing Nawab Bugti in air strike.

He said that the duty of army was to protect borders of the country not to kill country men.

Mr Soomro urged the government to handover the body of Nawab Akbar Bugti to his heirs and hold general elections to hand over the power to elected representatives.

He said that the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti would lead to a 1971 like situation in the country.

PPP: People’s Party Parliamentarians termed the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti a national tragedy.

In a joint statement issued in Hyderabad on Sunday, MPA Zahid Bhurgari, Pervez Ansari, Fayaz Shah and Aftab Khanzado said that the murder would have disastrous consequences.

They said that now the rulers would not be able to control the situation in Balochistan.

In a statement issued in Thatta on Sunday, MPA Sassui Palijo condemned what she called the targeted killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti.

She held General Musharaf responsible for that criminal, brutal and merciless action.

“They want to achieve every thing with bloodshed and brute force but we also warn them that if peaceful change is not given, then violent change becomes inevitable,” she said.

She said that Nawab Bugti was a proud leader who represented the hope of Baloch and other oppressed nations and kept his hope alive till his very last breath.