Riots spread in Balochistan

QUETTA - Riots erupted in Balochistan that left a policeman dead and several others injured Thursday, as public anger boiled over following the murder of three nationalist politicians.
News of the killings sparked protests and violent riots in several cities across Balochistan.
The mutilated bodies of the nationalist Baloch leaders, who, supporters alleged, were picked up by intelligence agents in Turbat on April 4, were found dumped in a remote location on the outskirts of the southwest town, a party official said.
The leaders were President Baloch National Movement Ghulam Muhammad Baloch, member of Central Executive Committee of party Lala Munir Baloch and Central leader of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) Sher Muhammad Baloch.
According to police sources, the bodies of the slain leaders were recovered from a rural mountainous area of Paidarek some 40 kilometres away from Turbat town and were shifted to a hospital where they were identified by their kins.
They were allegedly whisked away by personnel of the secret agencies in plain-clothes from the chamber of Kachkol Ali Advocate, the former Opposition leader of Balochistan Assembly on April 4.
After the autopsy, the bodies were handed over to the heirs and were carried to their ancestral towns.
Ghulam Muhammad Baloch and Sher Muhammad Baloch were laid to rest at Mand while Lala Munir was buried at Punjgur.
Ghulam Muhammad was also a member of 'Baloch Dost Committee which was formed for the recovery of missing Baloch men and women and he had played a vital role in the release of UNCHR official John Solecki.
The killing of three Baloch nationalist leaders sparked public outrage throughout the province.
Furious protesters took to the streets in Quetta and several other towns of Balochistan. Angry mobs in Quetta set ablaze six vehicles at Sariab Road, Brewery Road and Sheikh Manda while a shop and a bank were also set on fire.
All markets and business activities came to a standstill at Sariab Road and Brewry Road as rioters started pelting stones at private vehicles and forced the shopkeepers to close down their businesses.
Balochistan Bar Association boycotted the court proceedings and took out a protest rally led by President Supreme Court Bar Association Ali Ahmad Kurd and other lawyers. After marching through various roads they gathered outside Quetta Press Club and strongly condemned killing of the Baloch leaders.
They announced to observe three-day mourning over the tragic incident and a complete boycott of courts on April 13.
Heavy contingents of police, Frontier Corps, Balochistan Constabulary and other law-enforcement agencies were deployed at different sensitive areas in Quetta to thwart any untoward incident.
Police at Sariab Road and Brewery Road resorted to tear gas to disperse the protesters and arrested around two dozen activists on charges of ransacking from Quetta and other towns.
Two police personnel were injured in Quetta at Eastern Bypass when unknown persons hurled a hand-grenade at a police van. The injured head constable Ghulam Ali and driver Naeem Akbar were shifted to the hospital.
Protest rallies and shutterdown strikes were also observed in Turbat, Gwadar, Naushki, Hub, Mashkay, Awaran, Kalat, Khuzdar and other towns against the killings.
Infuriated mobs set on fire a utility store and a bank in Khuzdar. They burnt tyres and erected barricades on national highways to block traffic, which caused great difficulties to the commuters.
A police constable identified as Ahmad was shot dead by unknown persons in Khuzdar when unknown armed people opened fire on him.
Protesters pelted stones at DCO office in Gwadar while schools and banks were forced to close down working in Kalat.
A protest rally and complete strike was observed in Punjgur where angry mobs burnt and ransacked many offices including district offices of Pakistan Peoples Party, Balochistan National Party (BNP-Awami), a post office and a rest house.
Protest rally and shutterdown was also observed in Kharan where police arrested six rioters.
University of Balochistan Quetta has been closed for next three days while exams have also been postponed. Education Minister also announced that schools and colleges of Quetta and other restive districts would remain closed for two days.
Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, Chief Minister Aslam Raisani and Speaker Balochistan Muhammad Aslam Bhootani have strongly condemned the killing of the Baloch leaders.
The Chief Minister constituted a three-member judicial tribunal headed by a judge of Balochistan High Court to probe into the killings.
He appealed to the public to remain calm, saying that that killing of Baloch leaders was a conspiracy to sabotage reconciliation process in the province.
Addressing a Press conference at Press Club, Senior Vice-President National Party, Senator Hasil Bizenjo alleged that three leaders were brutally killed and thrown by personnel of secret agencies some six days back.
He said that such incidents were aimed at compelling Baloch people to take guns in their hands. He appealed all Baloch parties to gather on a single platform to start a joint struggle against usurpers. He said that they would offer funeral prayers of Baloch leaders on Friday (today).
Meanwhile, Balochistan National Front (BNF) has given a strike call for April 11 and 12 while Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) has also given a strike call on April 12.
In Mastung a doctor, Sirajul Haq, was seriously injured when armed assailants opened fire at him, police said.
The armed attackers opened fire at the doctor, who was passing from Mastung. He received eight bullet wounds and was referred to Quetta in a serious condition, police said, adding that the armed men fled from the scene.
Angry protesters set on fire offices of three private banks in tehsil Mand, the native town of one of the slain nationalist leaders Ghulam Muhammad Baloch.
The protestors gathered in the border town staged protest demonstration against the killings. During demonstration the unruly mob attacked various government and private buildings, smashed their windowpanes and set ablaze offices of Habib Bank Limited, Allied Bank Limited and United Bank Limited.
At least five government vehicles and a UN vehicle were set on fire by the rioters in Quetta, senior police official Rasool Bakhsh Rind said.
Meanwhile, eight people including an eight-year-old boy were injured after a bomb planted near a mosque went off in Hub, industrial town of Balochistan on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, Balochistan High Court took suo moto notice of killing of three Baloch leaders in Turbat.
A bench comprising BHC Chief Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai and Justice Kelosh Noth Kohli took the suo moto notice on reports of killing of Ghulam Muhammad Baloch, Lala Munir Baloch and Sher Muhammad Baloch whose bodies were thrown away after killing.
The court issued notices to Home Secretary Balochistan, DPO Kech, DPO Panjgur and SHO concerned. The court also summoned record of Session Court Turbat which had granted bail to the deceased persons. The court directed that all concerned be present in the court on April16 along with investigation officer of the case.
Meanwhile, at least three people were injured in a landmine blast in Loti area of Dera Bugti on Thursday.
As per reports reaching here, a vehicle rolled on a landmine laid by unknown people in Loti area. As a result, three people suffered injuries and were rushed to hospital. Police have registered a case against unknown persons.
At least 12 people sustained injuries in a hand grenade attack and firing incidents in Hub and Mastung district on Thursday.
According to police sources, two unidentified persons riding a motorcycle hurled a hand-grenade at Seerat Chowk in Hub industrial town of Balochistan and escaped from the scene after the attack.
The grenade exploded with a huge explosion. Resultantly, 11 persons sustained injuries. They were shifted to hospital where condition of three injured is stated to be serious.
In yet another similar incident, unknown people lobbed a hand-grenade at a house in Killi Bangulzai area in Quetta. No loss of life occurred in the grenade attack. However, windowpanes of the house shattered due to the explosion.
Meanwhile, spokesman of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) Bebaarg Baloch, calling from unspecified location claimed the responsibility of attack on Sirajul Haq and killing of a member of secret agency in Khuzdar district.
APP adds: A spokesman of ISPR has said that the brutal murder of political leaders and workers of Balochistan in Turbat is highly regrettable.
We consider this an act of anti-state element out to destabilize and undermine the reconciliatory efforts of the government, he said.
Pakistan Armed Forces support all efforts of the government to bring peace and normalcy in the province of Balochistan. It is unfortunate and not in the interest of the country to make serious allegations on security agencies without knowing the fact and evidence, he said.
The government has ordered a judicial inquiry of the incident. It will be in the interest of of every one to wait for the findings of judicial inquiry, the spokesman concluded.