Army should take over to end Balochistan violence: Shia cleric

Maulana Amin Shaheedi demands army intervention, self-defence and target operations in Balochistan.

QUETTA: Majlis-e-Wehdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Central Deputy Secretary General Maulana Amin Shaheedi has demanded that the  army take over in Balochistan and put a stop to ongoing violence in the province, Express News reported on Monday.

Shaheedi made these remarks while addressing a press conference in Quetta that condemned yesterdays deadly bombings that killed 80 people.

Commiserating with the mourning families, he put forward three demands.

He asked the army to take over the region and preserve peace and put an end to these killings.

He demanded security forces plan targeted operations on hiding places of suicide bombers and those who are responsible for sowing the seeds for sectarian violence. He demanded the immediate arrest and trial of the culprits involved.

He also blamed the government, saying that it had failed to maintain peace.

He also wanted the government to allow the public to practice self defence while remaining within constitutional limits.

Yesterday, MWM and Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) called for the strike in Quetta and various political and religious parties including Pashtunkhwa Map, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) backed it.