At least two people were killed and around a dozen injured during an exchange of fire between two rival political groups in the Hub city of Balochistan as police completely failed to bring the situation under control.
A peaceful protest in PB-21 against alleged result changes in the general elections turned violent. Chaos erupted on the national highway near the Civic Center, resulting in the loss of two lives and injuries to around a dozen people in a gunfight between two groups.
The victims have been rushed to the hospital, casting a somber shadow over ongoing unrest. The incident happened when the supporters of Sardar Saleh Bhootani of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Ali Hassan Zehri of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) clashed near the Civic Center Hub, police sources said.
The protest, initially aimed at voicing grievances over election outcomes, quickly escalated into fatal clashes between two groups. Witnesses described scenes of pandemonium, highlighting the danger and despair that gripped the area.
Despite efforts to maintain order, the situation worsened, emphasizing the high stakes of political dissent. Authorities are now working to restore calm and ensure citizen safety.
As the Hub mourns and hopes for peaceful resolution, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of civil discourse. In the face of tragedy, unity and determination emerge, signaling a collective desire for peace and reconciliation between Bhootani brothers and Zehris.
It may be mentioned here that multiple parties have announced protest demonstrations against the polls rigging across the province.
A shutter-down strike was observed in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan against the alleged poll rigging in the province on Tuesday. Four nationalist political parties namely the Balochistan National Party (BNP), Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party (NP), and Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) had given the call for a strike against what they claimed was record poll rigging during the recently held general elections.
“Our protest will continue till fair and transparent elections,” Ghulam Nabi Marri, one of the central leaders of BNP had said. He warned of intensifying protests against the provincial and federal governments for what he claimed worst election rigging.
All markets, shops and business centers remained closed in Quetta and various cities of Balochistan on the eve of shutter-down strike called by the four mainstream political parties of the province.
Multiple political parties organized protest demonstrations outside returning officers’ offices in various district headquarters of Balochistan. Candidates and party representatives urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to oversee the recounting and re-conducting of several constituencies across the province.
“We want justice,” Abdul Qahar Wadan of the PkMAP demanded. He alleged the worst poll rigging in Balochistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th 2024.
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