WASHINGTON DC: A rally Thursday in freezing cold and rain asked Pakistan to hand over the terrorists responsible for the recent carnage in Mumbai and cautioned the world about dangers emanating from Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

The rally organized by the American Friends of Baluchistan was held outside the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC.

A slogan raised on the occassion was, "Give peace a chance."

In a statement on the occassion, the A.F.B. suggested denuclearization and balkanization of Pakistan as the only long-term solution to the issue of terrorism in southwest Asia.

Following is the full AFB statement:

Two-year-old Moshe Holtzberg did not deserve to lose both of his parents in the senseless Mumbai carnage. The parents, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and his wife Rivkah Holtzberg, 28, were bringing smiles and joys in the lives of many a wary traveler. Their's was a noble mission.

This Chanukah, Moshe will be an orphan. And just two days ago Eid, or Muslim Christmas, for 140 million Muslims of India was a sombre affair. As many as one-third of the Mumbai victims were Muslims. Christmas this year will be joyless for scores of Christians that fell prey to the gun men's bullets. This New Year, 300 Hindu families will either be mourning a death or nursing a wounded.

On this day of solidarity with all those who died in Mumbai-- Indians, Israelis, Germans, Americans, Australian, Briton, Canadian, French, Italian, Japanese, Singaporean and Thai—the A.F.B. will like to reiterate terrorism is an international challenge and terrorists should be disowned by all nations.

Terrorism has played a havoc with the lives of the people all over the world, including the United States as was evidenced during the 9/11 attacks. The Baluch people in southwest Asia have faced this terrorism in its crudest and cruelest forms: the main sponsors of “Army of Pure” or Lashkar-e-Toiba, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban dressed in military fatigues have killed tens of thousands of Baluch including former governor and chief minister Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and former member of the provincial assembly Balach Marri during the last two years.

The Baluch have been victims of this killer mindset that thinks eternal bliss can be found by taking out innocent lives. It is unfortunate the government of United Kingdom wants to jail secular leaders of Baluchistan who are a bulwark against religious fanaticism on charges of terrorism. Two leaders Hyrbyair Marri, a brother of slain Balach Marri, and Faiz Baloch are still being tried by a court in London though Islamabad has come out publicly that charges against the two by the previous Musharraf regime were politically motivated.

Likewise, the Khan of Kalat Suleman Daud Ahmedzai, who many Baluch consider their head of state, is seeking asylum in the United Kingdom and the world must prevail upon London to grant him asylum as his life will be in serious harms way if he is deported to Pakistan.

I urge the upcoming Obama administration to suspend all military supplies to Pakistan until such time it hands over the wanted terrorists involved in the Mumbai mayhem and other Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders that the country's army considers its strategic assets.

This is a time for the entire word to reflect if 10 gunmen from Pakistan can take out 200 lives and leave 300 others maimed in a senseless carnage, what dangers Pakistan's nuclear weapons portends for entire humanity. Now is the time to denuclearize Pakistan, now is the time to balkanize Pakistan.

The world must act in unison before it is too late.

[Veteran journalist Ahmar Mustikhan is founder of the American Friends of Baluchistan]