KARACHI, Sept 27: Leaders of various nationalist parties have accused the rulers of pursuing a policy of subjugation and victimization against smaller nationalities.

They warned of a situation similar to that developed before the fall of East Pakistan, if the rulers did not mend their ways.

The leaders, representing Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP and the Seraiki region of Punjab, were addressing a huge public meeting on Sunday night at Kakri Ground in Lyari Town. The meeting was chaired by Sardar Ataullah Mengal, chief of the Balochistan National Party (BNP). Activists of BNP, Jeay Sindh Movement, ANP and Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party attended the meeting in a large number and were waving flags of their parties.

They held the military rulers responsible for the present mess, saying that the country could survive only when the rights of smaller federating units were fully protected and the armed forces were barred from playing any role in politics.

For the first time in the history of Karachi, such a mammoth meeting was held by nationalist parties. The aim of the event was to express solidarity with the people of Balochistan in the wake of the ongoing military operation there as well as on the issues of Gwadar mega projects, and establishment of cantonments in that province.

Soon after sunset, leaders of each participating party led a procession of their supporters into the rally venue. Prominent among them were Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Asfandyar Wali Khan and Mehmood Khan Achakzai.

Speakers at the rally condemned the Gwadar projects which, they believed, would turn Baloch people into a minority in their own province. They described the plan as a conspiracy against the Balochistan people.

They warned the rulers to desist from implementing the mega project, as well as Kalabagh dam and Thal canal projects, in the larger interest of the country. Maintaining that the country had already been ruined by their ill-advised policies, they cautioned that pursuing the same would prove to be suicidal for it.

The nationalist leaders were of the view that Pakistan had been passing through a critical stage as a result of the policy of subjugation and suppression pursued by the successive governments - both military and civilian - towards the smaller nationalities.

Regretting that the country had already suffered greatly due to the fall of Dhaka, they claimed that the people of East Pakistan had been forced to choose their own destiny.

The country's federal structure could not be kept intact by using force, they said and called for an end to the present system which they claimed, was based on domination of one province. They stressed on recognizing rights of nationalities of managing their economic and political affairs.

Those who spoke at the rally included Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Asfandyar Wali Khan, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, Jalal Mehmood Shah, Bashir Qureshi, Ameer Bakhsh Bhutto, Zain Shah, Abdul Majid Kanjo, Hemayoon Khan Marri, Azizullah Bohiyo, Maulana Obaidullah, Afzal Khan and Amin Asghar Shah.

In his opening remarks, Sardar Ataullah Mengal reminded people that he was addressing them after some 42 years. He recalled that in 1962, Baloch nationalist leaders had launched their political campaign against 'one-unit' and against the military dictator Ayub Khan.

At that time, he recalled, a military operation had also been launched against Balochistan people. As a result of this operation, he said, all Baloch leaders had been sent behind the bars and he himself had been imprisoned for more than four years.

"When the one-unit was scrapped and the parliamentary form of government under federal system was restored, we thought that problems of the smaller units would be resolved. However, all our hopes faded as rulers did not change their policy of exploiting smaller provinces." Analyzing political situation, he observed that Pakistan had always been ruled by 'Punjabi army'.

He held the GHQ responsible for all the mess the country had been facing, saying that armed forces had always portrayed themselves as the sole custodian of the country's solidarity.

"In fact, the army is acting as the guardian of Punjab and protecting the interests of only the big province." He said that in spite of the fact that Sindh generated 70 per cent of the national revenue, unemployment rate in the province was too high.

About development work in Balochistan, Sardar Ataullah Mengal declared: "We will not accept mega projects in Gwadar which were aimed at turning Baloch population into a minority... we have every right to protect the land of our ancestors."

He also declared that Balochistan people would not allow the gas pipeline to be laid across its territory for gas exports to India and Iran unless Islamabad signed a pact with Baloch leaders on royalty, based on income sharing formula.

The Sardar also appealed to India and Iran not to strike any deal if such a pact was not signed. "People of Punjab have always collaborated with the rulers, consciously or otherwise. It's for this reason that no Punjabi has ever raised his voice for rights," Sardar Mengal claimed.

He also urged youths of Lyari to stop fighting with each other, adding that their guns should be diverted against their common enemy instead. ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan expressed his party's full support and cooperation to the BNP in its just struggle.

Describing the Balochistan issue as 'a political problem', he said it should be resolved accordingly. He cautioned that if any attempt was made to resolve the issue by using force, it would result in disastrous implications on the country's solidarity.

Mr Khan also condemned the military operation in Balochistan and in Wana, South Waziristan. He claimed that following the US military action in Afghanistan, Pakistani agencies had provided safe passage to wanted men who eventually took refuge in the area. Unfortunately, he added, instead of picking up the refugees, the Pakistan army started killing local people and bulldozing their houses in South Waziristan.

The ANP leader made it clear that the federation of Pakistan could not survive with the might military power. "We want to live as free citizens, and die as free citizens in this federation," he declared.

PKMAP leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai said that Pakistan was, at this moment, passing through the worst-ever crisis because of its rulers' ill-advised policies.

He said, "We were enjoying full freedom before the inception of Pakistan and were assured that our freedom and rights would be safeguarded fully in Pakistan." However, he regretted, successive governments did not honour their commitments and resorted to subjugated and victimization of smaller provinces.

He also criticized MMA leadership for collaborating with the army in prolonging Gen Musharraf's rule. Many other speakers accused 'Punjabi Establishment' of exploiting the resources of smaller provinces and warned of 'self-rule' if it did not mend its ways.

A number of resolutions were also adopted at the rally. One of them rejected mega projects in Gwadar and described them as 'part of the greater Punjab plan' aimed at destroying the province's fishing industry and turning Baloch people into a minority, besides eliminating their national identity and heritage.

Under this plan, the resolution said, the land from Hingol to Jiwani would be captured by the army. The resolution also opposed the large-scale resettlement at Ormara naval base.

Rejecting establishment of cantonments, the meeting expressed the view that the Balochistan Assembly resolution had truly reflected the aspirations of local people. Another resolution condemned the search and siege operation and arrest of political workers in Balochistan and urged the government to stop victimizing political workers.

It also called for the withdrawal of warrants for the arrest of Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Habib Jalib Baloch, and Javaid Mengal, as well as release of those political activists rounded up during the military operation.

Yet another resolution condemned the moves for transferring resources of Balochistan to Punjab. The meeting also condemned the Sindh government for bulldozing houses in the old localities dominated by Sindhi and Baloch population on the pretext of building Lyari Expressway.