Coal miners strike to protest Duki terror attack

Labour organisations have gone on strike, with coal miners ceasing operations to protest the deadly terror attack in Duki earlier this week.

According to Express News, former provincial minister and central leader of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) Nawab Ayaz Jogezai, along with others, held a press conference demanding protection for workers.

They threatened to halt work if their demands were not met.

District President of the Labour Federation, Ambar Khan Yousafzai, stated that work would remain suspended until workers' safety is ensured, expressing sorrow over the tragic incident in which 20 miners were killed the previous day.

PKMAP leader Nawab Ayaz Jogezai described the killing of workers in Duki as a heartbreaking incident, noting that 20 miners were killed and around eight were injured.

He added that this incident is neither the first nor the last, as such occurrences are increasing daily. "For 76 years, the small nations in this country have been exploited," he said.

District authorities reported that the assailants used heavy weapons, including hand grenades and rocket launchers, to target the coal mines.

An attack by unidentified armed men on a local coal company in Duki district, Balochistan, has resulted in the deaths of 20 miners and injuries to seven others

Haji Khairullah Nasir, the District Chairman of Duki, stated that the attackers fired at the workers and set fire to mining equipment. Although police and Frontier Corps (FC) were alerted, no security personnel arrived at the scene in time.

According to police, the armed men gathered the workers in groups before opening fire. SHO Duki, Humayun Khan Nasir, confirmed that 17 bodies have been taken to the civil hospital, with more casualties expected.

Among the deceased, two were from Afghanistan, while others hailed from Pishin, Kuchlak, Killa Saifullah, Zhob, and Loralai, all of whom were Pashtun.

Authorities warned that the death toll could increase, as many injured individuals remain in critical condition.