QUETTA, April 8: Activists of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) and Jeay Sindh Students Federation (JSSF) held a demonstration outside the Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday, demanding release of Dr Safdar Sarki and Sardar Akhtar Mengal.

The chief minister-designate, Nawab Aslam Raisani, assured the protesters that he would discuss the matter with the home secretary and the advocate-general. Nawab Raisani and Syed Ehsan Shah, parliamentary leader of the Balochistan National Party (Awami), came out of the assembly and chief of the JSQM Bashir Khan Qureshi informed them about Dr Sarki’s case. Later, the protesters set up a camp outside the press club for token hunger strike.

Mr Qureshi told newsmen that Dr Sarki had gone missing on Feb 24, 2006.

He was granted bail by the Hub sessions judge, but police shifted him to the Zhob Jail on Nov 7, 2007. The Zhob sesssions judge also granted him bail on Feb 2 but the Balochistan advocate-general took a stay order from the Balochistan High court.

Mr Qureshi said that protesters would observe a token hunger strike on Wednesday. He expressed the hope that the new chief minister would order their leader’s release.