Khetran remanded into police custody for 10 days

Marri tribesmen continue protest in Red Zone to seek justice for Barkhan victims

QUETTA:

A local court in Quetta granted 10-day physical remand of Balochistan Minister for Communication and Works Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran to the Crimes Branch Police on Thursday.

The Crimes Branch Police produced the minister before the Judicial Magistrate 12 at the Quetta district court amid tight security, following his arrest on Wednesday in a case of triple murder in Barkhan district.

The bodies of three youth, two men and a woman, were discovered from a well in the Haji Kot area of Barkhan on Monday night. The victims belonged to the family of local tribesman Khan Muhammad Marri, who had accused Khetran of the murders.

Immediately afterwards, Sardar Khetran had rejected the murder allegations against him and instead accused his own son, Sardarzada Inam Shah Khetran, of conspiring against him “to serve his political interests”. However, Khetran was arrested on Wednesday.

Read: Balochistan minister held over Barkhan tragedy

At the time of hearing before the judicial magistrate, senior police officers, including Deputy Inspector General of Crimes Branch Police Wazir Khan Nasar, were also present outside the court.

Meanwhile, the Marri tribesmen, relatives of the victims, and members of political parties and civil society continued their protest demonstration in the Red Zone of Quetta for the third consecutive day to seek justice for the deceased.

“Government should give me justice”, Khan Muhammad Marri who joined the protest demonstration on Thursday morning demanded. Later, Marri was shifted by the police for investigation by the Special Investigation Team set up to probe into the incident.

Also, Senator Mushtaq of the Jamaat Islami (JI) arrived in Quetta and addressed the protesters. In a fiery speech, the Senator demanded justice for the bereft family, saying that the government was sleeping in Balochistan.

"Where is the chief minister of Balochistan", he questioned. He said that rulers must hear the hue and cry of the protesters. The senator demanded abolition of all private jails in Balochistan.