Killing of Baloch leaders calls for high level probe
The mysterious killing of three leading Baloch nationalist leaders – who were allegedly arrested by intelligence agencies last Friday – have sparked a wave of massive protests and violence all over Balochistan that has so far killed one police official. Police found the decomposing bodies of the three Baloch leaders – veteran politician Ghulam Mohammad Baloch and Lala Munir of the Balochistan National Movement (BNM) and Sher Muhammad Baloch of the Baloch Republican Party (BRP) – in Pidrak area of Turbat district on Wednesday evening.
Riots and protests spread across Balochistan after bodies of central president of Balochistan National Moment (BNM) Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, leader of Baloch Republican Party Sher Mohammad Baloch and member of central committee of BNM Lala Munir Baloch were found in Paidarek, Balochistan.
According to The News, several cities of Balochistan including Quetta hit by protest against kidnapping and killing of Baloch leaders. A shutter down strike is being observed in Turbat, Gwadar, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Mushkay, Awaran and other areas. Angry protestors hurled stones on cars and set a blaze four vehicles in Quetta whereas PPP office set on fire in Panjgur. Protestors threw stones at DC office in Gwadar.
Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira Friday said that recent killing of three Baloch leaders is being probed at high level and it would be inappropriate for anyone to raise finger at the process. Talking to a private television channel in a telephonic interview the Minister said that Balochistan Chief Minister has constituted a high level investigation team at IG level and the matter is being probed.
Besides, he said that the Chief Minister has also ordered a judicious inquiry into the incident and the stakeholders are expected to wait and see the outcome. If some people have reservations over the members of inquiry teams, they have the right to express it he said adding but suspecting the governments’ intention is inappropriate. The government at center as well as at the province sincerely wants to reach the culprits of this unfortunate incident but a process had to be followed.
He said the PPP lead coalition government sincerely wants to solve the problems of Balochistan province and it wants to take the local political leadership on board in this regard. It is need of the hour that the stake holders instead of suspecting each other should come forward with open heart for amicable solution of the problems , the Minister said.
Chairman Senate Farooq H. Naek and acting Chairman Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali have strongly condemned the brutal murder of three Baloch nationalists and termed it a ‘heinous conspiracy’ against the federation. In a statement issued here on Friday, they said the killings of Baloch leaders was an attempt to sabotage government’s sincere efforts for creating a conducive atmosphere for national reconciliation in the country.
Farooq Naek and Jamali appreciated the services of slain Ghulam Muhammad Baloch, Sher Muhammad Bugti and Lala Munir and said they were true patriots and human-loving personalities. They appealed to the people of Balochistan to remain peaceful and expressed the hope that the culprits behind this heinous crime would soon be arrested and brought to justice. They sympathized with the bereaved families and prayed to Allah Almighty to rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to bereaved families to bear the loss with equanimity.
The US Embassy has condemned the killing incident of three Baloch leaders in Balochistan, saying the deceased had played an important role in the release of abducted UN official John Solecki. According to a statement issued here from US Embassy, the slaying of Baloch nationalists was condemnable, as they had cooperated with the government for the safe return of Solecki. The statement further said Pakistani authorities should bring the culprits involved in this heinous act to the court of law.
While The United Nations has expressed “serious concern” over the killing of three ethnic Baloch leaders that has sparked off riots in that Pakistani province. It called for an immediate investigation into the deaths of the three, who supporters say went missing on April 2 after being detained by security forces. The victims were members of the committee that was recently formed by the government of Pakistan to investigate the case of missing persons in the province, most notably abducted UN worker John Solecki, who was freed last Saturday.
Input from Agencies
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