Strike in Quetta against killings

Talal Bugti condemns murders of labourers.

QUETTA:

A complete shutter down strike was observed in Quetta on Friday, following the killing of 10 labourers in Mastung district.

The strike call was given by prominent political parties including the Pakhtunkhuwa Mili Awami Party, the Awami National Party, Jamat-i-Islami and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, along with some trade unions.

All business centres in the district came to a halt in important trading centres including Jinnah Road, Abdul Sattar Road, Kansi Road, Prince Road, Masjid Road, Brewery Road, Mission Road, McChangi Road and Liaquat Bazaar.

The strike left the city almost deserted as people preferred staying indoors supporting the cause of the strike. Traffic on the roads was also thin.

Law enforcement agencies including the personnel of the Frontier Crops, police, Balochistan Constabulary and Anti-Terrorism Force were deployed throughout the city.

On Thursday, around 10 labourers were lined up and shot dead in the Dasht area of the Mastung district. The United Balochistan Army had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, Jamhoori Watan Party Nawabzada chief Talal Bugti also condemned the Dasht killings, terming it a conspiracy against the Baloch. He added that the “enemies of Balochistan” were behind the murders.

Addressing a press conference at the Bugti House on Friday, he also spoke about the issue of missing persons. “Hopefully, the UN working group will act as a bridge and would present a positive report in the general council,” Bugti said.

He added that if the UN team did not succeed in presenting the ground realities before the world, they would consider it equivalent to the UN giving its consent for the killing of Baloch people.

The party chief further called for the army chief to depose off the Inspector General of the FC Balochistan through court. The IG FC, he alleged, had a hand in the deteriorating the law and order in Balochistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2012.