Pakistan frees Baluch leader to bring peace

KARACHI - Pakistan's new government freed a prominent ethnic Baluch leader Friday as it tries to forge reconciliation in the restive southwest of the country.
Jubilant supporters crowded Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of Baluchistan National Party, as he was released from a Karachi hospital, where he was detained because of ill health.
Mengal was arrested in August 2006, accused of torturing two military intelligence officials. Supporters claimed the accusations were politically motivated.
Senior security official Arif Ahmed Khan said charges against Mengal have been withdrawn.
Pakistan's newly elected civilian government says it wants to promote dialogue with ethnic leaders in impoverished Baluchistan, scene of a long-running insurgency.
The former government of President Pervez Musharraf launched military operations against Baluch rebels, who are fighting for more autonomy and a greater share of the revenues from natural gas and other resources extracted from the region.
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting, which is separate from the struggle between Islamic militants and security forces further north along the Afghan frontier.
An unknown number of Baluch activists are suspected held by Pakistani intelligence agencies.
“My release is victory of democracy,' Mengal told reporters after his release. “We never compromised on our principles with a dictator and did not bow before Musharraf.'
“But my release is not an issue. The issue is the thousands of people who are missing and under detention of law enforcement agencies,' he said. “Our struggle is for the autonomy of the province and Baluch control over our resources.'
The release of Mengal, a former chief minister of Baluchistan, came days after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani traveled to the province. After talks with government officials and ethnic Baluch leaders, he ordered the withdrawal of all the charges against Mengal.
Authorities have previously accused the Baluchistan National Party of links to militants that launch attacks on security forces. The party denies involvement and says it is committed to political struggle.
Despite the peace overtures, suspected Baluch rebels have intensified attacks on police and security officials.