Karachi killings: Balochistan shuts down for second consecutive day

Protesters term incident an 'inability' of government of Sindh, say it failed to protect lives of children, women.

QUETTA: A shutter-down strike was observed in Quetta and different parts of Balochistan for the second consecutive day on Friday to condemn the killings of lawmaker Nawabzada Bakhtiar Khan Domki’s wife and daughter.

The deceased, who were also the sister and niece of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) Chief Bramdagh Bugti, were shot dead in Karachi on January 31.

Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A) General Secretary Asad Baloch and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Nasreen Khetran walked out during the proceedings of Balochistan Assembly to protest the killings of the great granddaughter and the granddaughter of Nawab Bugti.

The provincial ministers said that it was “ruthless and inhumane” that even Baloch women are not spared. They were joined by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) Minister Maulana Wasey and other members of the Balochistan Assembly, who strongly condemned the incident.

A complete shutter down was observed in Sibi, Turbat, Dera Allahyar, Naushki, Khuzdar, Mastung, Hub, Washuk, Khuzdar and other townships of the province.

The strike was called by BRP and was backed by National Party (NP) and other nationalist parties.

Business and trade activities were halted as all shops, trading centers, commercial establishments and educational institutions were closed. Strict security measures were taken, security forces and law enforcement agencies personnel were deployed throughout.

Traffic on the roads in Quetta remained thin. Balochistan National Party (BNP) staged a demonstration in Naushki, while members of the Domki tribe took out a rally in Dera Murad Jamali demanding justice.

The protesters termed the incident an “inability” of the government of Sindh and said that it failed to protect the lives of children and women.

Addressing a news conference, Wasay and Baloch said that the killings were part of a conspiracy to disintegrate the country.

The protesters demanded Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani come back to Balochistan from Islamabad immediately along with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and take measures to normalise the situation.

They also held the state functionaries responsible for the killings.

Wasay said that even in Islam, elders and women were not dragged into feuds.

The BRP called for a wheel-jam strike across the province on February 4 and February 5 to protest against the killings.