QUETTA, Feb 8: An all-party conference held here on Sunday called for determined efforts to foil conspiracies against sectarian harmony.

The conference, organised by the Hazara Democratic Party, decided to form peace committees comprising representatives of political parties and civil society to promote peace and harmony.

A declaration adopted by the conference urged the government to implement in letter and spirit a joint resolution passed by parliament to steer the nation out of the political and constitutional crisis.

It urged ulema and khatibs to preach harmony in mosques and Imambargahs to defeat extremism.

Presided over by HDP’s secretary general Abdul Khaliq Hazara, the conference was attended by Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldani, acting president of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal; Mir Hasil Bizenjo, senior vice-president of National Party; Khudadad Khan, provincial president of the Awami National Party; Hafiz Hamdullah, provincial deputy secretary of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl; Eshan Bugti of Jamhoori Watan Party (Talal); Arbab Hashim Kasi, provincial general secretary of Pakistan Muslim League-Q; Iqbal Shah of the PML-N; Mir Baloch of the BNP (Awami); Kabir Shakar of Jamaat-i-Islami; Irfan Ali of Tehrik-i-Insaaf; Rahat Malik, president of Progressive Intellectual Forum; and Asghar Ali of Tanzeem-i-Nasl-i-Hazara.

The conference condemned the murder of Hussain Ali Yousufi and other political leaders.

It called for stopping military operations in Balochistan and the NWFP and atrocities against innocent people.

The conference called for recovery of all missing persons, including Zarina Marri, and immediate release of all political prisoners.

Leaders who addressed the conference blamed ‘hidden forces’ for assassinations and said they were fanning sectarian hatred. Their designs must be frustrated by people led by political parties.

They appealed to people to keep an eye on activities of extremists.