Balochistan: People hold massive protest against rising crime, atrocities committed by Pakistani forces

Quetta, Jan 6 (IANS) A large number of people held a major protest in Turbat against the rising crime and lawlessness in Kech district of Pakistan's Balochistan. Hundreds of men and women participated in the protest, organised by All Parties Kech, the traders’ association, doctors’ associations, and civil society organisations, the local media reported on Tuesday. 

The rally held on Monday started from Apsar Bazaar and passed through various parts of the city before reaching Shaheed Fida Chowk, where it turned into a massive protest gathering, The Balochistan Post reported. While addressing the protesters, former Balochistan Chief Minister and National Party leader Abdul Malik Baloch said that the law and order situation in Kech had become extremely alarming.

He stressed that it was the responsibility of state institutions to ensure the safe recovery of abducted youths - Haseeb Haji Yaseen and Shah Nawaz Gul Jan. He also urged the authorities to fulfil their responsibilities and ensure the protection of people. He further said that impacted families and political leaders had approached all relevant institutions for the past month. However, each authority shifted responsibility onto others.

All Parties Kech convener Nawab Khan Shambizai termed the kidnapping-for-ransom incidents deeply disturbing and threatened to hold a shutter-down strike on January 7 if the abducted youths - Haseeb Yaseen and Shah Nawaz Gul Jan, were not recovered soon.

Kech Bar Association President Advocate Syed Majeed Shah condemned the kidnapping incidents that were happening in the region and said that bar association did not attend court proceedings as a protest. Former Senator Ismail Buledi stated that people in Kech and the entire Makran region were facing insecurity.

He said that businesses had shut down, sources of livelihood were reducing, and people were being deprived of their basic right to live. He called for protection for traders and people and demanded an end to kidnapping for ransom. BNP Awami central vice president Zareef Zadag, BNP leader Ghafoor Baloch, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Kech leader Maulana Abdul Hafeez Mengal and other leaders also addressed the protesters.

On Monday, one person was killed and 16 others injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in Panjgur district of Balochistan, local media reported.

Panjgur Assistant Commissioner Amir Jan stated that the IED was planted in a motor cycle and three of the injured are in serious condition, Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported. A Frontier Corps vehicle, which was the probably the target, escaped the attack and all personnel are safe, according to local police officials.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior official of the local administration said that the motorcycle, where IED was planted, was parked near a pushcart in the main bazaar, Dawn reported. Another police official stated that the blast seemed to have conducted through a remote control.

--IANS

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