Bodies flown to Punjab: Funeral held for Turbat massacre victims

Prayers also offered for martyred police officer, family in Quetta

QUETTA: Funeral prayers for the 15 people killed by the banned Baloch Liberation Front, and the top police officer, who was martyred along with his family, were held separately on Thursday

Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri, Commander Southern Command, Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa, Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti other officials took part in the funeral ceremony in Turbat.

During the ceremony the deceased bodies were wrapped in the national flag and were sent to Lahore in a Pakistan Army C130 plane.

So far, the 11 the bodies identified have been shifted to Sialkot, Mandi Bahaudin, Gujrat and Gujranwala, while four unidentified have been kept in a morgue in Lahore.

Later, CM Zehri and Lt Gen Asim Bajwa presided a security meeting in Turbat. Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti and IG Police Muzzam Jah were also present in the meeting.

Officials in the meeting were briefed about the massacre of the 15 people and they reviewed all the aspects of the heinous incident. The meeting concluded with the decision that action against the perpetrators would be taken with full force.

Meanwhile, the funeral ceremony for the martyred acting SP Investigation City Muhammad Ilyas and his family was held in the Police Line area of Quetta.

The funeral prayers were offered of the martyred SP Ilyas, his wife Raziya, son Muhammad Adil and grandson Abdul Wahab.

Governor Balochistan Muhammad Khan Achakzai, CM Balochistan Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, military and civil officers also attended the funeral prayers and paid tribute to the martyred SP and his family.

“We are determined to purge the menace of terrorism and we stand with the bereaved family,” the governor and CM said in a joint statement. They added that the perpetrators behind the attack will be brought to justice.

The acting SP Investigation City Muhammad Ilyas, his wife, son and grandson were martyred on Wednesday night by armed men in Nawa Killi area while they were passing in a private vehicle.

Meanwhile, a first information report (FIR) of the murder was registered against unidentified men in the Zarghoonabad Police Station on behalf of the SHO.

The lawyers’ community also boycotted the lower and upper courts proceedings in Quetta against the murder of Advocate Adil, the son of the slain SP.