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Forgotten Balochistan

Loralai

Loralai

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Good editorial in DAWN today (https://www.dawn.com/news/1417631/forgotten-balochistan) about the elections and Balochistan. It comes as no surprise that we are, once again, forgetting about the province of Pakistan which is in need of the most serious and immediate attention.

Forgotten Balochistan

IT is to all intents and purposes a politically forgotten province. Thus far, Balochistan has not featured in the election campaigns of most national political parties. It is not even clear if the leaderships of the major political parties intend to visit the province before July 25.

The deafening political silence on Balochistan ought to be of concern to all democratic-minded and right-thinking citizens of the country. In every way, politically, socially, economically and in terms of security, Balochistan is a province that is hurting.

The latest spell of national political engineering began in Balochistan with the snatching away from the PML-N of the coalition government it led in the province. The long-running security troubles in Balochistan have scarcely improved.

Socioeconomically, conditions in large parts of Balochistan are routinely ranked at the bottom of provincial and district indices. While Balochistan may have the fewest seats among the provinces in the National Assembly, the dire situation in the province ought to have drawn the attention of the national political leadership.

That the extremely worrying situation in Balochistan has not attracted the attention of the national political leadership in their campaigns so far is itself a new worry. From the very beginning of the latest low-level Baloch insurgency to wrack the province, it had been apparent that only a political solution could put an end to the violence.

After the regime of Pervez Musharraf ended in 2008, five years of a PPP-led provincial government scarcely brought about any improvement. In 2013, the return to electoral politics of moderate Baloch nationalist parties, which had boycotted the 2008 polls, created fresh hope in the beleaguered and troubled province.

For a while it had appeared possible that Baloch political moderates may be able to persuade the security establishment to try and make peace with Baloch separatists. But that hope quickly dissipated, and Balochistan settled into a familiar pattern of a political government without much power and a security establishment controlling more than it should.

Yet, for all the failures so far, if true and positive change is to be effected in Balochistan, the national political leadership cannot abandon the province. Indeed, the collapse of the PML-N-led provincial government following what was effectively an intra-party coup, underlined the dangers of a political vacuum in an unstable province.

Instead of national politics helping stabilise Balochistan, the province was turned into a breeding ground for political conspiracy at the national level. If the major political parties believe that by all but ignoring Balochistan in their campaigns their electoral hopes in the other provinces and at the centre will not be negatively affected, they are likely mistaken.

Teetering as the democratic project may be, the national political parties ought to consider that the federation cannot be strengthened if one province is virtually cut off from the rest. Please, campaign in and for Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018
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It is not forgotten; wait till PTI comes in power in shallah. We shall uplift the entire province!
 
King-Misbah said:
It is not forgotten; wait till PTI comes in power in shallah. We shall uplift the entire province!
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Bhai how many times has Imran Khan visited Balochistan during the run up to the elections? Is he planning to visit the province at all before July 25?
 
Loralai said:
Bhai how many times has Imran Khan visited Balochistan during the run up to the elections? Is he planning to visit the province at all before July 25?
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He did hold jalsas in the past in Baluchistan and is vocal about how the province needs development and how he will give it a special status when he comes into power so that Baluchistan is developed quickly. He gave the example of East Germany and how West Germany allocated more resources when the two Germany's unified. Let's be honest here and we all know that power comes through Punjab. This is why IK is trying to win Punjab so that he can make a real difference. We need to remain patient and understand the ground realities but I am hopeful that Baluchistan will change for the better if IK comes into power :) We need to remain positive my brother :) We care about Baluchistan as much as you do my brother :) Baluchistan will be imperative for Pakistan in the years to come and I see a great future.
 
I agree we need to remain positive about Balochistan's future but can someone please explain to me why no leader of the main parties is visiting the largest province in Pakistan?

This place needs serious attention and it should be at the forefront of every election campaign. Each of the large parties should be doing their utmost to engage with the Baloch, recognise their concerns and try to build a better future for the most marginalised people in Pakistan.

[MENTION=142765]King-Misbah[/MENTION] thank you for at least responding. The lack of replies to this thread is indicative of the wider attitude prevalent amongst Pakistanis towards Balochistan - most just don't care at all about this province. In fact we are most upset by the suffering of people in Burma or Palestine or occupied Kashmir than we are by those suffering in our country.

[MENTION=135]Waseem[/MENTION] has already told me that Imran has no plan to visit Balochistan as part of his campaign trail. It is so disappointing. I guess he doesn't care enough about Pakistan's largest province to even visit its people. PML(N) have indeed made a great hue and cry about CPEC, but once again no major figure from that party has yet visited Balochistan as part of their campaign, even though CPEC is nothing without Balochistan.
 
Balochistan continues to bleed.

ISPR continues to tweet.

When will security forces and military intelligence be held accountable for these failures?
 
We have treated Baluch's like second class citizens that the enemy will take advantage off. CPEC can never be successful until the Baluch feels as important as a Punjabi and Pathan. They have every reason to complain as things stand.
 
PakLFC said:
We have treated Baluch's like second class citizens that the enemy will take advantage off. CPEC can never be successful until the Baluch feels as important as a Punjabi and Pathan. They have every reason to complain as things stand.
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Are there any laws that officially deem them second class citizens like the Ahmadis and non Muslims?
 
Pakistanian said:
Are there any laws that officially deem them second class citizens like the Ahmadis and non Muslims?
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Yes! Being ignored and always kept on the margin suggests Islamabad looks upon them as second class citizens. Just don't expect some official announcement. Pak does not even see Ahmadi's and others living on the margin as being second class ones.
 
God forbid had the Mastung blast taken place anywhere in Punjab then it would have been the main focus of the media. Instead the media chose to give minute by minute updates on a convicts arrival to the country.
 
PakLFC said:
Yes! Being ignored and always kept on the margin suggests Islamabad looks upon them as second class citizens. Just don't expect some official announcement. Pak does not even see Ahmadi's and others living on the margin as being second class ones.
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It doesn't seem deliberate. Regions which have lower populations will get less coverage, it's like that all over the world. There's no active conspiracy to keep them down, the government neglect of them doesn't seem deliberate.
 
Pakistan has failed to sort the grievances of people from sparsely populated Balochistan. Safe to say no lessons have been learned from anything that's ever happened in our history. Let it be a weather disaster, a seismic activity, a public uprising or anything else.

Takht-e-Lahore is all that matters to the powers that are.
 
Loralai said:
Please explain how this will help to overcome the problems that Balochistan faces.
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Explain how it wont? the majority of terrorists come from Afghanistan. Hence the border needs to be sealed and our authority reasserted here. Whats the problem with sealing a poros border?

As for Balochistan, yes neglected, but just like other parts of Pakistan. Until we dont get leadership that is truly concerned about the nation we wont be able to provide for all of our people. If we continue to support individuals who care more about their ban balances and jagirs then expect Balochistan to go knowhere. On the plus side they have a better chance of succeeding than say Sindh..
 
the Great Khan said:
Explain how it wont? the majority of terrorists come from Afghanistan. Hence the border needs to be sealed and our authority reasserted here. Whats the problem with sealing a poros border?

As for Balochistan, yes neglected, but just like other parts of Pakistan. Until we dont get leadership that is truly concerned about the nation we wont be able to provide for all of our people. If we continue to support individuals who care more about their ban balances and jagirs then expect Balochistan to go knowhere. On the plus side they have a better chance of succeeding than say Sindh..
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Will fencing the border lead to greater political representation for Balochistan?

Will fencing the border improve investment into education and healthcare in Balochistan?

Will fencing the border mean that the social and cultural marginalisation of Balochistan will come to an end?

Will fencing the border mean that political parties will actually deign to visit the province? It took the deaths of over 100 people for PTI and PMLN to realise Balochistan was a part of Pakistan and that they should visit it during their election campaign.

Thousands of people in Balochistan have gone missing or disappeared in recent years. Will fencing the border mean that they will suddenly return?

Will fencing of border mean that there will be freedom of expression in Balochistan?

Will fencing of border mean that there will be greater employment opportunities in remote parts of Balochistan?

Will fencing of border mean our Army will stop its dirty war against its own people?

It is too easy to blame terrorists from Afghanistan for the problems in the province. It is better for us as Pakistanis to accept that the way Balochistan has been treated over 70 years is nothing short of a national disgrace. We, as Pakistanis, are responsible for the situation it is in today.
 
Loralai said:
Please explain how this will help to overcome the problems that Balochistan faces.
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It wont solve all the problems but it solve one off the big problem that is terrorist coming from Afganistan. [MENTION=142451]Mian[/MENTION] @ Pakpak [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] [MENTION=253]the Great Khan[/MENTION]
 
Loralai said:
Will fencing the border lead to greater political representation for Balochistan?

Will fencing the border improve investment into education and healthcare in Balochistan?

No but its not build to do that and therefore the correlation is irrelevant.

Will fencing the border mean that the social and cultural marginalisation of Balochistan will come to an end?

Again the fence is a part of wider measures see above.

Will fencing the border mean that political parties will actually deign to visit the province? It took the deaths of over 100 people for PTI and PMLN to realise Balochistan was a part of Pakistan and that they should visit it during their election campaign.

Again you have failed to understand the broader strategy

Thousands of people in Balochistan have gone missing or disappeared in recent years. Will fencing the border mean that they will suddenly return?

Again because missing people have not returned shall we not fence the border?

Will fencing of border mean that there will be freedom of expression in Balochistan?

This is not just a balochistan only problem and Balochistan is not unique in this way.

Will fencing of border mean that there will be greater employment opportunities in remote parts of Balochistan?

It will increase security as part of wider measures and God willing will provide security that will increase economic activity, thus providing more job opportunities. It is one aspect of a wider strategy.

Will fencing of border mean our Army will stop its dirty war against its own people?

The army will fight to prevent a Syria like situation where terrorists are being supported by foreigner like Jadhav and will take whatever measure is necessary to ensure the country and fight and secure its people. Have they made mistakes , yes, is everything above board ? no. But to conflate it as some kind of Pogrom is ridiculous.

It is too easy to blame terrorists from Afghanistan for the problems in the province. It is better for us as Pakistanis to accept that the way Balochistan has been treated over 70 years is nothing short of a national disgrace. We, as Pakistanis, are responsible for the situation it is in today.

Yes and no. We are responsible no doubt but to accept all the responsibility is a stupid thing to do when the evidence says otherwise. Thats not how you fight wars and win them.If you navel gaze without doing anything else then sooner or later you get run over because you missed the truck heading your way.
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regards
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mastung?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mastung</a> like? Relative to other parts of the country? <br><br>Let's check the <a href="https://twitter.com/UNDP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@undp</a>'s Human Development Index (HDI). <br><br>High HDI countries include places like Malaysia, Turkey & Brazil. <br><br>Medium low or low HDI places are like sub Saharan Africa. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pkNHDR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pkNHDR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JawanPakistan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JawanPakistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/drPg0TYqj6">pic.twitter.com/drPg0TYqj6</a></p>— Mosharraf Zaidi (@mosharrafzaidi) <a href="https://twitter.com/mosharrafzaidi/status/1018600974175408135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Pakistanian said:
It doesn't seem deliberate. Regions which have lower populations will get less coverage, it's like that all over the world. There's no active conspiracy to keep them down, the government neglect of them doesn't seem deliberate.
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You have to explain the bold part to Baluch people. Since independence Islamabad has done very little for them. Low population is a very cheap excuse to justify their misery. The irony is that most Baluch people love Pakistan where as most Pakistanis don't do so them. Ask a Baluch person how they feel if you know any.
 
Pakistanian said:
It doesn't seem deliberate. Regions which have lower populations will get less coverage, it's like that all over the world. There's no active conspiracy to keep them down, the government neglect of them doesn't seem deliberate.
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I can assure it is pretty deliberate and the way Balochistan has been treated for last seventy years is very embarrassing. It has been treated worse than a colony by the Pakistani state. Have you been to Quetta railway station or ever travelled along the Bolan route?

It is better to admit the nations faults and think about how we can fix them rather than claiming that nothing is wrong at all.
 
Balochistan bleeds again today.

The average Baloch who wanted to be part of the democratic process (in spite of the fact that no major party leader visited Balochistan until the Mastung attack) has been targeted.

Security forces have totally failed to keep the people of Quetta safe. It is even being ignored in parts of the media.

How much innocent blood needs to be shed before things change.
 
A few months into PTI rule and problems in Balochistan remain unresolved and it has largely been ignored by the PTI government, just as it was ignored by PPP and PMLN.
 
Loralai said:
A few months into PTI rule and problems in Balochistan remain unresolved and it has largely been ignored by the PTI government, just as it was ignored by PPP and PMLN.
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The pertinent point being “a few months into PTI rule”....

Glad you mentioned that.
 
Does IK even know that Baluchistan is part of Pakistan?
 
Just a couple of months into his government Imran Khan announced 1 billion rupees for a university at Gawadar. The bill got rejected by the Balochistan Assembly but it's been accepted now.

The opposition in the Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday rejected a treasury bill for the establishment of Gwadar University for which Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced Rs1 billion.
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/1837599/1-opposition-rejects-bill-gwadar-university/

PTI isn't in power in Balochistan and therefore cannot directly address its issues. The people of Balochistan have to depend upon their elected representatives.

But PTI has shown some concern for Balochistan. The province has been a lot more involved in meetings and discussions regarding investment and CPEC unlike in the past government. The Saudi and UAE investment in Gawadar can massively benefit Balochistan.
 
Biggest problem of Balochistan is its own tribal sardars who don't want to spend money on their people so that they remain illiterate and under their control. Same is the case in interior Sindh.
 
Greenstorm said:
Biggest problem of Balochistan is its own tribal sardars who don't want to spend money on their people so that they remain illiterate and under their control. Same is the case in interior Sindh.
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No actually biggest problem is widespread apathy of Pakistani people who blame tribal sardars to ease their own consciences and mask the fact that inspite of 70 years of independence Balochistan is being treated worse than a colony.
 
Loralai said:
No actually biggest problem is widespread apathy of Pakistani people who blame tribal sardars to ease their own consciences and mask the fact that inspite of 70 years of independence Balochistan is being treated worse than a colony.
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Conditions of Balochi people is not that different from those of interior Sindh and both have same extractive wadera system. But you do not seem to be that vocal about Sindhis who are actually dying of hunger, do they not fit your agenda ?
 
Greenstorm said:
Conditions of Balochi people is not that different from those of interior Sindh and both have same extractive wadera system. But you do not seem to be that vocal about Sindhis who are actually dying of hunger, do they not fit your agenda ?
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Is not that different? I agree there is widespread poverty and serious political and economic strife in Sindh but equating the two is not an appropriate comparison. The fact is that the wadera system could have been abolished across Pakistan - but hasn't been for very specific reasons. In fact it hasn't even been weakened but allowed to thrive. The biggest issue with discussing the Balochistan problem is that people immediately blame sardars and waderas but refuse to accept that the Government of Pakistan is responsible for maintaining these systems.
 
Also my agenda is that I want to see a progressive Pakistan which is inclusive for all its minority groups. Do you not share the same goal? Or do you just want urban Punjabi military and bureaucratic elites to rule us till we are split into pieces?
 
Two major attacks in Balochistan in recent weeks - first the attack on Hazara community of Quetta and today another attack in Gawadar.

This should be of major concern to every Pakistani and steps need to be taken by our government to ensure stability and peace in this province.
 
Loralai said:
Two major attacks in Balochistan in recent weeks - first the attack on Hazara community of Quetta and today another attack in Gawadar.

This should be of major concern to every Pakistani and steps need to be taken by our government to ensure stability and peace in this province.
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now you changed your tone whenever someone pointed out your hypocricy ,
people are watching you.
 
Loralai said:
Two major attacks in Balochistan in recent weeks - first the attack on Hazara community of Quetta and today another attack in Gawadar.

This should be of major concern to every Pakistani and steps need to be taken by our government to ensure stability and peace in this province.
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Wasn't the BLA a group you supported? You have blood on your hands.
 
Pakistanian said:
Wasn't the BLA a group you supported? You have blood on your hands.
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Bhai could you please explain why you think I supported BLA? I have never even posted anything about the BLA.

Its a shame we resort to this kind of behaviour instead of trying to appreciate different viewpoints.
 
Loralai said:
Bhai could you please explain why you think I supported BLA? I have never even posted anything about the BLA.

Its a shame we resort to this kind of behaviour instead of trying to appreciate different viewpoints.
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Your an absolute loser- you couldn't even bring yourself to condemn the attack- you tried to blame army for the murder of innocent people. What a complete cretin you are
 
Keen followers of politics in Balochistan will be aware of the spat on Twitter last week between Akhter Mengal and Sarfraz Bugti. It is really disappointing to see this kind of immature behaviour from two of the senior politicians in the province (regardless of what you think of them). I'm not going to post the tweets here as they are pretty pathetic from both parties and you do wonder how they can behave like this given the ongoing issues that the people of the province face.
 
Loralai said:
Keen followers of politics in Balochistan will be aware of the spat on Twitter last week between Akhter Mengal and Sarfraz Bugti. It is really disappointing to see this kind of immature behaviour from two of the senior politicians in the province (regardless of what you think of them). I'm not going to post the tweets here as they are pretty pathetic from both parties and you do wonder how they can behave like this given the ongoing issues that the people of the province face.
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And this is the actual problem of Baluchistan. Sardars of Baluchistan are always isolated with the issues of peoples. All are opportunists, they all are running behind money. Common man is their least concern.
 
Junaid_ahmed said:
And this is the actual problem of Baluchistan. Sardars of Baluchistan are always isolated with the issues of peoples. All are opportunists, they all are running behind money. Common man is their least concern.
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They are not perfect I agree with you. I think Mengal has done quite well so far during this current term but let himself down with these comments. Sarfraz has always been a bit of an opportunist so I am not surprised but disappointed by Mengal.

They are not the actual problem though, they are symptom of the real problem. Unfortunately in 70 years it has never been the aim of Pak govt to democratise and develop the province and part of this has meant they propped up Sardars. Nothing surprising as it is ame policies used by Britsh and same policies used elsewhere like in interior of Sindh and southern Punjab.
 
Baluchistan, Interior Sindh & South Punjab all are behind from the rest of the country bcz the peoples of those areas love to be treated like slaves. They always run behind their sardars, waderas etc. Illiteracy led them to blind love of race & castes of their own. They never tolerate anything against sardars, irrespective of right or wrong. Do you think that they will vote an outsider of their clan to rule them even if he/she will be on right path?
 
QUETTA: Balochistan’s Min**i*ster for Public Health and Eng*i*neering Noor Mohammad Dummar on Sunday inaugurated a dam and Karez in the old Sanjavi area.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Dummar said that Balochistan had been facing an acute shortage of water since long. He said the people of the province were being forced to resort to unregulated extraction of groundwater through tube wells.

He said since Balochistan was the most neglected province of the country, it had been adversely hit by water shortage since 2010. “According to some estimates, the province will face chronic water shortages in coming years if the incumbent provincial government continues to ignore the issue."
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Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1518690/minister-opens-dam-in-balochistan.
 
QUETTA: The Baloch*istan government on Wednesday expressed its desire to partner up with private companies for investment in the province.

In a meeting with MRDL Saindak President Wang Jicheng and Chairman HeXuping in Quetta, Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan Alyani said:

"We are committed to inking agreements with private firms by leading bilateral matters in a conducive way as many international mining companies have been showing interest to do business with the provincial government."

Furthermore, expansion of the Saindak project was discussed. He also briefed the Chinese regarding provincial Mineral Policy 2019, saying it would help foreign companies in knowing the clear stance of provincial government.

He reiterated provincial partnership in all mineral, oil and gas projects in Baloc*h*istan.
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Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1519287/balochistan-seeks-partnership-with-foreign-companies.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">1 offr, 5 soldiers embraced shahadat as FC South <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Balochistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Balochistan</a> vehicle was targeted with remote controlled IED while returning from patrolling in Buleda, 14 kms from Pak-Iran Border, to check possible routes used by terrorists in mountainous terrain of Mekran. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OurMartyrsOurHeroes?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OurMartyrsOurHeroes</a> <a href="https://t.co/mES0jMWRxq">pic.twitter.com/mES0jMWRxq</a></p>— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/1258793839336316928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Lonewarrior said:
now you changed your tone whenever someone pointed out your hypocricy ,
people are watching you.
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It's a pathetic thing to say to someone from Balochistan that "people are watching you" I don't know in which context you were saying that in but with 1000s of kidnappings in Balochistan it's an extremely insensitive thing to say
 
QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Sunday announced the cancellation of fake domiciles of federal employees working on Balochistan quota.

In a statement, the chief minister directed all the deputy commissioners to scrutinise the domiciles, saying that the bogus domiciles of those employed in the federal institutions on the Balochistan quota would be cancelled.

"The government’s decision to cancel the fake domicile is the first of its kind. No previous government had taken the issue of bogus domicile seriously, " he said, adding that the deputy commissioner Mastung had already cancelled 400 fake domiciles.

Separately, Balochistan Governor Amanullah Yasinzai said the issuance of fake domiciles in all districts of Balochistan has been taken seriously as the federal government had to ensure the transparent and on-merit deployment of locals on Balochistan quota.

He said that re-verification of fake domiciles by the deputy commissioners was an effective development, which could help in curbing unemployment by deploying locals on quota in Balochistan in the federal departments.

In this regard, the governor has directed all the deputy commissioners to expedite the process of re-verification of fake domiciles.

Last month, the Sindh government had also announced that it had formed a committee that would probe the issue of fake domiciles and all officials with bogus domiciles will be terminated.

"Action will be taken against those with fake domiciles," Sindh Information Minister Nasir Shah had said, adding that so far 154 suspected domiciles have come to light from four districts of the province. These included Larkana, Kashmore, Ghotki and Jamshoro.

Shah had said that certain cases of dual domiciles have also surfaced that have been highlighted in the preliminary report which has been sent to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/296445-ba...federal-employees-working-on-provincial-quota
 
At least 1 dead, 7 injured in explosion in Balochistan's Turbat

At least one person was killed and seven others injured in an explosion in a bazaar in Turbat, Balochistan on Tuesday.

Police and rescue teams have reached the area. The injured have been shifted to District Headquarters Hospital, Turbat.

Officials said that miscreants planted an improvised explosive device (IED) in a motorcycle parked outside a shop in Turbat. A number of vehicles have reportedly been damaged.

Police sources said it was yet to be confirmed who was the target of the blast but all the injured were civilians.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Alyani condemned the attack, saying that "the agenda of anti-state elements will not be allowed to succeed".

The chief minister further said that those who "shed innocent people's blood for their evil purposes deserve the strictest punishment".

He assured that medical facilities will be provided to the injured and directed security forces to take more effective measures to ensure the peace of the area.

"Some elements want to create disturbance to keep Balochistan underdeveloped for their personal benefits. The process of peace and development in Balochistan will continue no matter what," he added.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1570315/at-least-1-dead-7-injured-in-explosion-in-balochistans-turbat
 
Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun.

I hope the culprit will be caught. Anyone who attacks innocent people is a coward.
 
Journalist Shaheena Shaheen shot dead in Turbat

Shaheena Shaheen, a renowned social activist and a journalist from Gwadar, was shot dead by unidentified men in Turbat on Saturday, officials said.

The PTV Bolan morning show anchor was brought to a local hospital in critical condition after being shot twice, hospital sources told The Express Tribune, adding that the owner of the vehicle, in which Shaheena was brought, fled soon after dropping the victim. However, the police managed to seize the vehicle later on.

According to police officials, Shaheena, who was also the editor of Balochi language magazine Dazgohar, was shot at a housing quarter in Turbat and unidentified assailants left her body at the hospital. An investigation into the homicide has been launched following medico-legal formalities at the hospital.

The city, approximately 700 kilometres from the provincial capital of Quetta, has been frequently targeted by militants.

On July 21, at least one person was killed and seven others sustained injuries in a bomb blast at a market in Turbat.

The province, in recent months, has seen an increase in attacks. Earlier in May, six security forces personnel, including one officer, were martyred when a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) struck their vehicle near Pakistan-Iran border.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2262666/journalist-shaheena-shaheen-shot-dead-in-turbat
 
Police in southwest Pakistan have launched a hunt for the killer of a female journalist who was shot at her home, an official said, with her husband being one of the suspects.

"We have registered a case and started a search for the killer of the female journalist," Siraj Ahmad, investigating officer on the case from Turbat district of Balochistan, said on Sunday.

Shaheena Shaheen, a talk show host at state-owned broadcaster Pakistan Television and editor of a local magazine, was shot dead at her home in Turbat on Saturday evening.

Ahmad said Shaheen's family suspected her husband of the murder. Shaheen had a court marriage about six months ago and was living with her husband, according to the police.

Mohsin said Shaheen was dropped off at a hospital in critical condition by two men who then left as doctors tried to save her life.

Police later learned that one of those men was the woman's husband, Nawabzada Mahrab.

They said raids were being carried out to find and arrest the husband after being alerted by the woman's uncle of his involvement.

Pakistan is considered to be one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

Rights group Reporters Without Borders ranked Pakistan 145th out of 180 countries in its 2020 World Press Freedom Index.

Since 1992, at least 61 Pakistani journalists have been killed in connection with their work, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

In November, another man was accused of killing his journalist wife, Arooj Iqbal, in the eastern city of Lahore.

Pakistan fares badly on global gender indices. In 2019, it ranked 164 out of 167 countries on the Women, Peace and Security Index, only above Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...st-shot-dead-balochistan-200906103925121.html
 
PM Khan admits to Balochistan being neglected by past governments

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan admitted that the province of Balochistan has been neglected for decades, due to which it continues to struggle at the lower end of human development indicators in the country.

While addressing the signing ceremony for the award of contracts by the Universal Service Fund (USF) for the provision of high-speed mobile broadband data in rural Balochistan and Sindh, the Prime Minister added that his government will be taking concerted efforts to facilitate Balochistan’s march towards economic development.

According to a comprehensive report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Balochistan ranks lowest in terms of provincial human development indicators (including healthcare, education, food security, etc.), with an HDI of 0.450 - with only FATA ranking lower with an HDI of 0.300.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/4002...lochistan-being-neglected-by-past-governments
 
QUETTA: Prime Minister Imran Khan said Wednesday that the federal government would discuss the expansion of health insurance, similar to the one introduced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the Balochistan government.

"After Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the government is expanding the network of Rs 0.1 million health insurance per household in Punjab and Gilgit Baltistan. The same would be discussed with the coalition government of Balochistan," said PM Imran, while addressing the groundbreaking of three highways in the provincial capital.

The prime minister assured the people of Balochistan that his government is focused on bringing a "revolution of prosperity in Balochistan" with projects focusing on infrastructure and human development.

Read more: Elevating Balochistan 'part of my imaan', says PM Imran Khan during first visit to Turbat

"Balochistan has been neglected in the past and the [PTI] government will take every step to minimise the suffering of the locals," said PM Imran Khan.

The premier assured the people that despite "financial constraints", his government is committed to divert funds towards the development of Balochistan.

The prime minister said that his government had constructed 3,300km roads in the two years they have been in power, compared to the 1,100km roads built by previous governments in the last 15 years.

The PM lamented that if such major steps had been taken in the past then the country would have been better developed.

The premier blamed "elite capture" for the economic divide in the society and stressed the need for a model of development for all, no matter rich or poor.

"Balochistan suffered apathy of previous rulers who ignored the province. But my ideology focuses on making Pakistan rise by uplifting its weaker segments," said PM Imran Khan.

He said China’s development and its strategy to bring people out of poverty was exemplary, adding that that Pakistan could learn from the same model.

On the other hand, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan, in his address, said that in the last 15 years, the previous governments left several development projects unfinished. He added that his government is focused on completing those projects.

He emphasised the need for enhanced connectivity of Quetta with Naseerabad and Sibi through dualisation to facilitate farmers and traders from adjoining areas.

Meanwhile, Communications Minister Murad Saeed said the projects inaugurated by the prime minister would usher in a new era of development in the province.

Earlier, the PM was briefed on the overall situation of Balochistan and the development projects.

The premier was in Quetta for a day-long visit. During the visit the projects he inaugurated included the construction of a 162-kilometre Ziarat Harnai road, the 23-kilometre dualisation of Quetta Western Bypass (N-25) and the construction of an 11-kilometre Dera Murad Jamali Bypass (N-65).

GEO
 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2329237/pm-imran-concerned-over-slow-pace-of-balochistan-uplift-package

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed concern over the slow pace of development projects under the Southern Balochistan Development Package.

The prime minister was chairing a high-level meeting to review the progress of uplift projects in Balochistan, worth at least Rs655 billion.

During the meeting, Imran was informed that the apex committee headed by the Balochistan chief minister to oversee the projects met only once last year.

The premier said the apex committee is supposed to meet every month and the executive committee every fortnight to ensure the uplift programmes, of which there are around 200, are completed on time.

The prime minister also directed the authorities concerned to complete Turbat airport and nursing colleges in Turbat and Gwadar at the earliest. He said he will now hold review committee meetings every month to remove impediments in the completion of development projects.

Imran added that issues of Balochistan are different from the rest of the country as its population was scattered across the province which required out-of-the-box solutions.

He directed the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, and the Government of Balochistan to work in close coordination to accelerate the work on transport, energy, and infrastructure projects under the development package.

Earlier, the PM was briefed that Balochistan produced 40 per cent of the locally produced gas in the country. The premier was advised that the ownership of the federal government was needed to solve various issues being faced by the province.

The premier directed the Balochistan government to revamp its governance structure at the grassroots level, not only to accelerate the pace of work on development projects but also to improve service delivery to the citizens.

He also directed the authorities concerned to launch an effective media campaign to ensure public awareness of the government’s initiatives.

The meeting was attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Industries Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Adviser on Finance Shaukat Tarin, and other senior officers concerned.
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GWADAR: Tens of thousands of people, including women and children, marched on the main roads and streets of Gwadar on Friday in support of their movement launched for the rights of the people of Gwadar.

Led by Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, Balochistan gen**eral secretary of Ja**m*a*at-i-Islami, the people of the port city launched the ‘Gwa*dar ko haq do’ movement 26 days ago.

The participants of the procession started their march from Seratun-Nabi Chowk, carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans in support of their demands. They were chanting slogans against the provincial government.

Speaking to the participants, Maulana Hidayat said police and other law-enforcement agen*cies blocked the Coas*tal Highway at Uthal, stopping buses, coaches and other vehicles carrying people to travel towards Gwadar as thousands of people from Karachi and other areas of Sindh wanted to join the sit-in in Gwadar.

Maulana Hidayat said that today’s participation of hundreds of thousands of people in the procession and the sit-in was actually a referendum against the provincial and federal governments and the people would continue their struggle and protest till the achievement of their rights which had been denied to them for a long time.

“It is the movement of the deprived and oppressed people of Balochistan comprising fishermen, poor labourers and students, which will continue till all their demands are accepted and implemented,” the JI leader declared.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2021

https://www.dawn.com/news/1663114/massive-rally-in-gwadar-for-demands-acceptance
 
After weeks-long protests by the people of Gwadar for fundamental rights, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the government will take "strong action" against illegal fishing by trawlers off the Gwadar coast.

In a tweet, the premier said he had taken notice of the "very legitimate demands" of the hardworking fisherfolk of Gwadar, a linchpin of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

According to the premier, he will also speak to Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo so the reservations of the Balochistan fisher community could be addressed.

Gwadar sit-in

The people of Gwadar have been staging a sit-in in the port city for their fundamental rights for more than 20 days. The sit-in is being led by Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, the provincial general secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Balochistan.

Read Chinese fishing vessels seek shelter at Gwadar Port during monsoon season

Several rounds of talks between the Balochistan government and the protesters have failed, as the demonstrators said they will not end their protest on mere verbal promises.

Their demands include the provision of potable water to the citizens, civic amenities, employment opportunities for locals and removal of unnecessary security checkpoints spread across the city

The protesters have also demanded an end to illegal fishing in Gwadar's waters by foreign trawlers, saying illegal fishing trawlers were destroying Baloch fisherfolk's livelihood and the marine environment, and for restrictions on trade with Iran -- a major source of income for the locals -- to be lifted.

The only demand that has been complied with so far is the closure of wine shops in Gwadar.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/233356...trong-action-against-illegal-fishing-trawlers
 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1663398/pm-imran-takes-notice-of-gwadar-fishermens-legitimate-demands-on-day-28-of-protests

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday took notice of the "very legitimate demands" of the "fishermen of Gwadar" as the protest of the locals in the port city for their basic rights entered its 28th day.

The protest, which began roughly a month ago, saw tens of thousands of people, including women and children as well as fishermen, march on the main roads and streets of Gwadar on Friday in support of their movement. Their demands range from the presence of large fishing trawlers encroaching on their livelihood to lack of health facilities and drinking water.

Led by Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, Balochistan general secretary of Jamaat-i-Islami, the protesters have vowed to continue their protest till the achievement of their rights.

The prime minister tweeted today that he had taken notice of the "legitimate demands of hardworking fishermen of Gwadar", adding that the authorities would take "strong action against illegal fishing by trawlers".

He said that he would also speak to the provincial chief executive on the matter.

Rehman, who is leading the Gwadar Ko Huqooq Do Tehreek (Give Rights to Gwadar Movement), had told Dawn.com the protest would continue until the acceptance of two major demands — action against "trawler mafia" and resolution of issues on Iran border — from the overall 19 demands.

Meanwhile, on Dec 6, Balochistan's director general of public relations released a list, available with Dawn.com, that showed progress made so far on the protestor's demands.

The demands and progress made, according to the authorities, are as follows:

  1. End to illegal trawlers: Office of director general of Fisheries moved to Gwadar and patrolling increased to check on illegal trawlers
  2. Freedom for fishermen to go to sea: Elimination of special token system to go to sea. Fishermen are now allowed to go without any permission
  3. Elimination of unnecessary checkposts on major roads: All unnecessary checkposts removed
  4. Closure of wine shops in Gwadar All wine shops closed on government instructions
  5. Elimination of interference in cross-border trade with Iran: End to all kinds of interference and establishment of trade markets at border
  6. Establishment of a university in Gwadar: Appointment of a vice chancellor for Gwadar University, classes to start soon
  7. Appointments on empty seats of education department's non-teaching staff: Selection process for appointment completed, officials sent for appointment
  8. Curtailing the sale of fake medicines: Inspection of Gwadar's medical stores completed
  9. Waivers and subsidies on utility bills: Policy on issue to be clarified soon, chief minister has written a letter to Quetta Electric Supply Company
  10. Release of seized cars and boats by coastguard: Legal team formed on the issue
  11. Provision of clean drinking water: Supply of water initiated, water project to be completed soon
  12. Priority to locals on jobs for development projects: Special desk formed on the issue in district commissioner's office
  13. Implementation on agreement with Dar Bela affectees: Compensation paid to affectees, separate area being selected for land compensation
  14. Compensation paid to Expressway affectees: Compensation paid to affectees, special measures being taken for remaining people
  15. Removal of cases on protest leaders and names from Fourth Schedule: Matter sent to the provincial cabinet
  16. Damages for losses due to storms and illegal trawlers: Survey completed of fishermen's losses, matter of compensation sent to Provincial Disaster Management Authority and orders issued for immediate compensation
  17. Removal of DG GDA, DC Gwadar AC Pasni: Officials changed and replaced with capable individuals
  18. Implementation of quota for disabled people: Orders issued for strict implementation of quota
  19. Open Kulki point for transportation of oil and essentials: Kantani point completely opened for transport and distribution of oil and essentials

16 out of 19 demands have been met, claims CM's adviser

Meanwhile, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Home and Tribal Affairs Mir Ziaullah Lagau told a press conference today that the protesters had a list of 19 demands, 16 of which had been accepted by the government.

With regards to one of the remaining complaints about illegal fishing by trawlers in the port city, the adviser said Maulana Rehman had recently admitted during a meeting that illegal fishing by trawlers had declined but at the same time, he feared a surge in the activity if protesters ended their demonstration.

"To which, I responded that I am not responsible for it," Lagau said.

He highlighted that another demand pertained to boats and vehicles that had been confiscated by the authorities under the Customs Act. "I conveyed to them we cannot do anything about it as this was out of our domain," the adviser said.

Pointing out the third remaining demand regarding the handing over of border management from the FC to the civil administration, the CM's aide said authorities were working on it.
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Gwadar protesters end sit-in after govt accepts demands

After month-long protests in the port city of Gwadar, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, the leader of the sit-in, has announced to end the campaign after assurance from the government that protesters' demands will be fulfilled, Aaj News reported.

Confirming the news, Balochistan Minister for Planning and Development Zahoor Buledi said in a Twitter post that negotiations between the government and Balochistan secretary-general of Jamat-e-Islami Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman took place in the presence of the Chief Minister of Balochistan, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo.

"The negotiation with Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman in the presence of CM has been successful. Govt has accepted all demands of Maulana Sb and the dharna is to be called off," he wrote.

The Balochistan chief minister visited the protest site in Gwadar and informed the participants that their demands had been accepted. Addressing the protesters, Bizenjo said that a complete ban had been imposed on illegal fishing and directions had been issued to the relevant departments.

"These are all legitimate demands," he said.

Earlier today, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar and the Federal Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal also held talks with the protesters in Gwadar on behalf of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Speaking to the media alongside Jalal, Umar said: "Health, education, electricity, employment, all these aspects were reviewed during the meeting.

"The people of Gwadar will see the impact of projects being implemented in their daily lives," he said.

"We will continue to work with the provincial government to improve the lives of the people of Balochistan, specifically those living in Gwadar," he said.

Thousands of people had been protesting against the devastating impact of illegal fishing by trawlers along the coast on the livelihoods of local fishermen.

PM Imran promises 'strong action' against illegal fishing in Gwadar

Their other major demands, out of the total 19, included: removal of Gwadar Development Authority director-general, deputy commissioner Gwadar and assistant commissioner Pasni, grant of freedom for fishermen to go to sea, closure of wine shops in Gwadar, elimination of interference in cross-border trade with Iran, the establishment of a university in Gwadar, appointments on empty seats of education department’s non-teaching staff, provision of clean drinking water, priority to locals on jobs for development projects, implementation of quota for disabled people and provision of free 300 units of electricity.

Fishing is a major source of income in Gwadar and the livelihoods of locals are attached to this industry.

Prime Minister on Sunday took notice of the "legitimate demands" of Gwadar's fishermen, saying strong action will be taken against illegal trawling in the area.

"I have taken notice of the very legitimate demands of the hardworking fishermen of Gwadar. Will be taking strong action against illegal fishing by trawlers," the premier tweeted.

Ministers will hold talks with Gwadar protesters: Fawad Chaudhry

In July, the Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs was informed that fishing was the only source of income for the people of the coastal areas.

Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi informed the committee that bad weather forced the trawlers to come near the Gwadar port area, but no permission had been granted by the concerned authorities for fishing in the area.

He assured the committee to take up the matter at the appropriate level for resolution of the complaint as early as possible.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40140607/gwadar-protesters-end-sit-in-after-govt-accepts-demands
 
The Indian channels were showing the Gwadar protests as if Pak was allowed the lose the Baluchistan province. they must be so heartbroken that the sit in has ended:inti
 
QUETTA: A petition has been filed in the Balochistan High Court, seeking disqualification of Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo after a video went viral on social media showing the chief minister distributing money among participants of the recently ended 31-day-long Gwadar sit-in.

A spokesperson for the Balochistan government condemned what he called the propaganda against CM Bizenjo.

The petition was filed by Advocate Amanullah Kanrani who pleaded the court to disqualify the chief minister for distributing money among the protesters.

“The Chief Minister does not comply with Article 62 and 63 after paying money to protesters,” the petition said.

The Balochistan government’s spokesperson claimed that CM Bizenjo distributed money among poor women and children outside the area where the sit-in was held. He said providing financial assistance to poor women is a tribal tradition in Balochistan and that there is nothing wrong with it. Criticising the chief minister for doing something which is a tradition of the province is unjustified, he added.

The spokesperson said that some people are not happy over the peaceful end of the sit-in because they wanted to see some unrest in the province as a result of the protest. They are now frustrated and trying to some confusion on the basis of this video, he added.

He said the peaceful end of the sit-in showed the political vision of CM Bizenjo and Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, who led the protest.

The government spokesperson claimed that Maulana Hidayatur Rehman has also denied the report about distribution of money among protesters.

He claimed that the people of Gwadar have welcomed the agreement which led to the peaceful end of the sit-in. He said the provincial government believes in resolving all issues through dialogues.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2021
 
A band of suspected Da'ish terrorists is on the run in Quetta after escaping a police raid that killed six other members of the group, officials said on Monday.

Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said in a statement they had stormed a hideout in Balochistan capital on Saturday and killed six terrorists, but "around four to five managed to escape".

A senior police official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that "teams are now raiding different areas to arrest those who escaped".

Among the dead was Asghar Sumalani, a junior commander in the regional chapter of Da'ish-Khorasan. He had a two million rupee ($11,400) bounty on his head.

Officials have long played down the presence of Da'ish-Khorasan in the country. But the group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks, including the slaying of 11 miners from the minority Shia Hazara community last year.

Some of the miners were beheaded after being kidnapped from a remote coal mine in the mountainous Machh area, 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Quetta.

Also read: Poverty pushing Afghans to join terror group Dai'sh

Da'ish-Khorasan has deep roots in several provinces in eastern Afghanistan along the border with Pakistan.

The terrorist group carried out a suicide bombing at Kabul airport in August, killing scores including 13 US service members, as the Taliban retook Afghanistan.

Last week, DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar told reporters that "Pakistan Da'ish is not very active", in response to concerns that the threat from the group is rising.

Da'ish terrorists on the run after evading police raid in Quetta (tribune.com.pk)
 
FOLLOWING his election as prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif announced several policy measures, including a commitment to focus on the development of all provinces of Pakistan, and not simply Punjab. While this remark is welcome, overturning the image of PML-N as a Punjab-centric party will require much more than verbal commitments.

Although the PML-N has demonstrated some willingness to shed its Punjab-centric image in favour of a more inclusive federal outlook post-2008, the party also appears to have embraced the regionalisation of politics and given up on peripheral Pakistan in favour of consolidating its power base in Punjab. The PML-N’s strategy for smaller provinces has relied almost solely on appeasing tiny regional elites and cultivating alliances with representatives of smaller ethno-regional parties. While successful in resisting the hegemony of the establishment, the elite-centric appeasement strategy hasn’t necessarily translated into improved standards of living for the people. The result is that the perception of the PML-N as a Punjab-centric party remains strong in the peripheries.

To cultivate popular support outside Punjab, the PML-N-led government will have to prioritise the socioeconomic development of the smaller provinces, especially areas like ex-Fata and Balochistan. With regard to Balochistan, here is a plan of action:

Firstly, political reconciliation and peace-building must be the foremost priority. No major economic development initiative in the province can succeed without first devising a strategy for peaceful management of the ongoing ethnic conflict. In this regard, the government needs to appreciate the complex landscape of the violent conflict in Balochistan: there is a low-scale but ongoing ethnic insurgency mainly in southern Balochistan, as well as sectarian and religiously motivated militancy concentrated mainly in northern and central Balochistan.


Political reconciliation and peace-building must be the priority.

This conflict landscape implies that restoration of peace requires a holistic but differentiated strategy.

To begin with, tackling religiously inspired and sectarian militancy requires a fundamental shift in our national security policy and foreign policy. Our security thinkers need to appreciate that durable peace in Balochistan and KP cannot be established without peace in Afghanistan. Our current Afghan policy is more likely to turn Afghanistan into a battleground for yet another regional proxy war.

Further, we need to play a balancing act in our ties with Iran and Saudi Arabia, rather than tilting in favour of the latter. Lastly, no tolerance should be shown towards sectarian and religiously motivated militant outfits.

Read: Whispers from Balochistan

The Baloch ethnic conflict merits a different strategy. The key takeaway from the nearly 17-year-long insurgency is that repressive measures and cosmetic development packages have both failed to bring the disaffected Baloch into the political mainstream. Also, the resurgence of violent conflict proves that a security-centric approach alone cannot deliver peace. Here is what needs to be done:

a) The government should prepare a comprehensive strategy for reaching out to Baloch insurgents. This strategy should entail the engagement of credible po**l**itical voices to lead negotiations and implement CBMs such as stopping military operations, withdraw*ing the FC from certain areas, releasing all Baloch missing persons and compensating the families of those killed extrajudicially. Mere offers of amnesty or exhortations to abandon violence won’t work.

b) The military establishment’s support is a must for the proposed reconciliation efforts to make headway. The military needs to appreciate that a hard approach alone will ensure only temporary peace at best and that a low-level insurgency can continue almost indefinitely no matter what security measures are taken. The low-level violence is enough to put the state on the defensive, draw international attention and unsettle foreign investors. Moreover, the state should also be willing to abandon patronage of the cadre of artificial leaders it has propped up. These people are the main beneficiaries of the conflict and, therefore, have an interest in its continuation.

c) Previous efforts to reconcile Baloch insurgents failed because a) repression went hand in hand with reconciliation efforts, and b) those leading the process had little credibility or freedom to make meaningful offers.

Read: Reconciliation in Balochistan?

Secondly, Baloch concerns regarding control over their natural and coastal resources must be addressed. In this respect:

a) A powerful parliamentary committee led by a credible Baloch parliamentarian should be constituted to ensure the effective implementation of Arti*cles 172(3) and 158 of the Constitution. Balochistan must be given its due share in the ownership, management, and revenues of federally owned oil and gas companies. The province’s concerns with regard to pricing, taxation and distribution of its natural gas must be addressed.

b) Ownership of the Saindak copper-gold project may be transferred to the Balochistan government as committed under the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan package.

c) The Reko Diq agreement should be made public. The establishment of a refinery in the province should be ensured. A Chagai foundation with a corporate management and board must be established. At its disposal must be CSR funds, two per cent of the company’s profits, 2pc of federal profits and half of the royalty payments to ensure the socioeconomic uplift of the local community.

d) As far as CPEC is concerned, Islamabad must shift to a more inclusive development approach prioritising the basic rights, dignity and development needs of the local people, respecting the marine ecosystem and promoting local livelihoods. Unnecessary check posts must be abolished and drinking water projects expedited. A public sector company should be created to harness the potential of desalination and reverse osmosis technology along the coastal belt. Balochistan should be given a share in revenues from the Gwadar port.

Thirdly, measures are needed to alleviate poverty and mitigate the adverse impact of fencing the border on livelihoods.

a) A formal border trade gateway with all allied facilities and necessary trade logistics is necessary in each district along Balochistan’s borders with Iran and Afghanistan.

b) Balochistan’s share of the Benazir Income Support Programme may be increased to 10pc at least. Its current share is around 4pc, which is even less than Balochistan’s share in the total population. This is inequitable. Enhancing the share would not only reduce poverty but also lessen conflict. Fur*the*r*more, the capacity and resources of BISP’s administrative set-up in Balochistan should be upgraded, while representatives of the province should be made members of the governing body as well as the project’s management team.

The writer is a public policy and development specialist from Balochistan.

Twitter: @rafiullahkakar

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2022
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Excellent editorial in DAWN today about this issue. Let's hope PMLN and Shehbaz Sharif take heed.
 
Describing the suicide attack by an educated woman on Chinese nationals in Karachi as a “new and dangerous trend”, the country’s mainstream and nationalist political parties on Wednesday asked the authorities concerned to take the incident as a “final wake-up call” and resolve the issue of missing persons at the earliest as a major confidence-building measure to end the sense of deprivation among the Baloch people.

Key political figures belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the National Party were unanimous in saying that the solution to Balochistan’s woes lies in political dialogue and not military operations.

Several political leaders also expressed their displeasure over the recent statement of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Balochistan, where he had reportedly said he would raise the issue of missing persons with “powerful quarters”.

“Mr Sharif should not have uttered these words, as by doing so he has actually proved that there are some other quarters that are more powerful than the government,” said a senior politician now in the government. He then added that though the prime minister was right in saying so, he should not have at least said it publicly.

Mainstream political parties express concern over new trend in terrorist attacks on Chinese; call for recovery of missing persons

A female suicide bomber targeted a vehicle carrying faculty members of Karachi University’s Confucius Institute, killing three Chinese nationals and their local driver on Tuesday. The attack was later claimed by the banned Majeed Brigade of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which stated that this was the first time they had employed a female suicide bomber. The group also shared a photo of the bomber, referred to as Shari Baloch alias Bramsh.

Talking to Dawn, PML-N Senator Mushahid Hussain said the way forward, according to him, was to “stop treating Balochistan as a political plaything, frequently picking, choosing and changing favourites, end the shameful crime of missing persons, ensure benefits of development for local communities and end border harassment and corruption”.

He believed that Tuesday’s terrorist attack was not a normal one, as the involvement of an educated woman proved how deep the sense of alienation had been penetrated among the Baloch people. He stressed the need for continuing the local political process instead of controlling the province through remote control while sitting in Islamabad.

He said the missing persons’ issue must be resolved immediately. He questioned the utility of the commission on the missing persons and termed it a “joke” with the nation.

Mr Hussain said that after the Karachi incident, alarm bells should be ringing not in the government circles in Islamabad but in the “military establishment” as well.

The PML-N senator, who is also the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, described the Karachi incident as a “monumental failure and breach of security.” He regretted that there were some 26 intelligence agencies operating in the country, but it seemed there was no coordination among them at all.

He said it was the same old story that the security warnings went unheeded and the system of security was outmoded and the end result was that “the terror groups can strike at will at a time and target of their choosing whether its Karachi, Dasu, Gwadar or anywhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.

The senator also drew attention to the alleged harassment and corruption by the security officials deployed at the border. He said the Baloch people recently protested when the law enforcement agencies resorted to firing on the people who were accused of smuggling oil.

Similarly, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, in a statement, condemned the suicide attack within the precincts of the Karachi University, saying these attacks were aimed at destabilising the strategic relations between Pakistan and China.

“What is alarming is the fact that these terrorist organisations are recruiting women as suicide bombers, who belong to the educated middle class and have a family background of academics,” he said, adding that the state must realise the significance of this fault line.

“Extreme nationalism has permeated to such an extent that educated women are willing to lay down their lives,” Mr Rabbani said. “This means that the seeds of oppression, suppression, alienation and the sense of deprivation are so deep that it motivates violent reaction against the state and its strategic interests.”

The state, he said, must realise that the question of missing persons, particularly in Balochistan, was a mistrust of the state in the judicial system.

Mr Rabbani, who had previously served as the Senate chairman, said a national consensus of all political parties and stakeholders had to be achieved, as was done by the PPP when it announced the Aghaz-i-Haqooq Balochistan programme.

Meanwhile, National Party Punjab president Ayub Malik also urged the new federal government to take urgent steps to resolve the issue of enforced disappearances, as it was vital to restore permanent peace in Balochistan.

He said that in the past, the party’s president and former Balochistan chief minister, Abdul Malik, had initiated talks with the groups sittings abroad after consulting all the stakeholders and some of them were amenable to the idea of solving the problem through dialogue. He regretted that those talks were abruptly discontinued and insisted that the use of force or military action would only exacerbate the situation.

“Efforts should be made to solve the problem through political dialogue within the parameters of the Constitution,” he said but added that some confidence-building measures must be taken before that happens, such as the recovery of missing persons.

Talking to Dawn, a senior PML-N leader from Balochistan and a member of the party’s central working committee Sydaal Nasar disclosed that the woman who had carried out the suicide attack in Karachi had been sitting outside the Quetta Press Club for the past over four years, as many of her family members were among the missing persons.

The PML-N leader suggested that the gravity of the situation demanded that the country’s top political leadership, including the prime minister, should immediately reach Balochistan and stay in the province for at least two weeks.

During their stay, he said the leaders should hold talks with the Baloch people, including students, lawyers, labourers, traders, businessmen, fishermen and others, and listen to their grievances.

Mr Nasar was of the view that those sitting abroad should also be approached. He also suggested setting up a “powerful grand jirga” comprising elders of all the tribes to engage the dissidents. This jirga, he said, must be on the pattern of Shahi Jirga, which existed at the time of the partition of the subcontinent.

The PML-N leader said mere announcements of constructing roads and bridges would not resolve the issue. He said the policy of employing the people on daily wages should also be eliminated.

In a Twitter post, PPP secretary general Farhatullah Babar said a new wave of repression against Baloch was feared as a result of a suicide attack in Karachi.

“It will be a disaster if, instead of reaching out and applying balm on wounds of Baloch, they are hounded. (The) state hasn’t yet recovered from Musharraf’s humiliation of Baloch people,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2022
 
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the interior secretary to develop a mechanism to "stop what is happening with Baloch students" and ensure that their ethnic profiling is ended.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued the directives while hearing a petition filed by rights activist and lawyer Imaan Zainab Hazir against harassment of Baloch students who were protesting in Islamabad last month over disappearance of their missing colleague, Hafiz Baloch.

In the previous hearing, Justice Minallah had asked President Dr Arif Alvi to dispel the impression of ethnic profiling of the Baloch students.

When the hearing resumed today, Hazir told the court the president had given assurances to the students. However, Bebgar Imdad, a student of National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad, was picked up from Punjab University yesterday, she said.


Another student, Dr Dildar Baloch, was picked up from Karachi, she added.

"It seems the government is not taking the matter related to Baloch students seriously," the lawyer said, adding that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) should issue notices to all varsities so that Baloch students are not harassed.

The president held two meetings with Baloch students, Hazir informed the court.

"What did the president do?" Justice Minallah asked. These are real issues but the previous government also ignored them, the IHC chief justice remarked, questioning who was responsible.

Hazir replied that the chief executive and the relevant agencies were responsible.

The chief justice again remarked that the issues were real but political leaders ignored them. "The human rights ministry should be shut down if ethnic profiling is happening. Don't say the state is weak.

"Why is there a human rights ministry when neither the previous government nor this one did anything?" he asked. "Do not say there is a law and order situation, why should children be affected by this?"

Justice Minallah pointed out that political parties' statements were different before they came to power but once in government, they forget everything.

Deputy Attorney General Syed Mohammad Tayyab Shah requested the court for time so he could ask the new government for instructions.

"You can write [to the government] that the state is weak," Justice Minallah replied, asking how it could ignore human rights violations. "This is the job of the federal government. This is the job of the human rights ministry."

The deputy attorney general told the court the prime minister had visited Balochistan recently.

"This is the federal capital. Their (Baloch students) petitions are being heard since February," the chief justice responded.

"These students are the future. Should the courts close their eyes to these human rights violations?" he asked. "Does the cabinet not know what is happening in the country? Weren't those who are in the cabinet [now] going to them yesterday? Don't they know?"

It is the job of the political leadership in a democratic society to find a solution, the chief justice observed.

The court is expected to issue a written order later.

Baloch student picked up from PU

A day earlier, security agencies picked up Bebgar Imdad from the hostel of the Punjab University, purportedly in connection with the Karachi University (KU) suicide blast case.

Imdad, a student of the seventh semester of English Literature in Numl, Islamabad, and a native of Kech, was visiting his relative in Hostel No 7.

On Wednesday morning, PU security guards and other security agencies bundled him into a truck.

One of the students on the condition of anonymity told Dawn that the security agencies suspected that Imdad might be involved in the recent attack in which three Chinese nationals were killed while four others injured outside the KU's Confucius Institute.

He said they tried to resist the arrest of Imdad but the personnel told them to stay away and that if the suspect did not have any involvement in the blast, he would be released by evening. By the evening, he said, the security agencies did not release the student.

The Baloch Student Council termed it "a continuation of the enforced disappearances and harassment of the Baloch students in the country".

The council said the Baloch students were being picked up from educational institutes and the profiling of Baloch students was being done so that the Baloch stopped taking education.

They said the university administration was also harassing Baloch students in the name of data and details.

DAWN
 
Absolutely shambolic way to handle this crisis. We are failing our Baloch people every single day. The elite in this country treat us as their fiefdom and continue to butcher us.
 
QUETTA: Following the suicide attack on the premises of the University of Karachi which killed three Chinese teachers and a driver on Tuesday, member of the Balochistan Assembly from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Bushra Rind said that the incident is being used to tarnish the image of the Baloch nation.

Speaking during a press conference alongside Parliamentary Secretary for Women Development and Climate Change Mahjabeen Sheran and Ex-minister for defence production and BAP MNA Zubaida Jalal in Quetta, Rind condemned the suicide attack in the strongest terms and said that the incident was being used to give a bad name to the Baloch nation, adding that "no one will be happy with such actions".

She further added that attempts were made by "external forces" to worsen the situation in Balochistan.

Speaking about the suicide bomber involved in the attack, who has been identified as Shari Baloch, Rind said that her husband was taken into custody for interrogation a day ago.

"Shari's husband has revealed that she was mentally ill and was on medication," Rind shared with journalists. "This incident is also an attempt to keep Baloch women away from education. I am here today to bring an end to the negative impression which is being projected against Baloch women."

She further said that while "foreign elements" are trying hard to eradicate love and harmony from Pakistan, it would be impossible for them to succeed.

'Far-reaching implications'
Zubaida Jalal expressed sorrow over the deaths of innocent people and said this was a painful time for Pakistan.

"For the first time, a woman was involved in a suicide attack. This is very unfortunate," the BAP leader said, noting that the attack would have "far-reaching implications" on the area where she hailed from.

"She must have not even thought about that. Such incidents have occurred in the past and just like before, we will have to work together to counter them," Jalal said.

Jalal lamented that "no one" had ever thought that a Baloch woman would be involved in a suicide attack, but said that the facts behind the incident would come to light once the investigation concludes.

Suicide bomber 'mentally ill'
Speaking to journalists, Mahjabeen Sheran said it was unfortunate that she and the suicide bomber hailed from the same area — Kech.

"The suicide bomber's husband was arrested and he has admitted that she was mentally ill. It is noteworthy that she hailed from a respectable family," Sheran said.

The lawmaker said once the probe ends, people will get to know why the woman was involved in the suicide attack. Sheran lashed out at those using women for their "cowardly act" and that they would never achieve their goals.

GEO
 
The Universal Service Fund (USF) is set to launch a fibre optic project in Gwadar to bring 4G-compatible high-speed internet and telecom services in the region and the project is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.

The USF has finalised the paperwork for several projects including 400 kilometre of fibre project in Gwadar and to bring 4G services in Loralai area of Balochistan, apart from upgrading data services to 4G in Vehari, Lodhran, Sialkot, Narowal, Nankana Sahib and Sheikhpura.

Sources in the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication said that all the above projects were in the process of finalisation and would start after getting approvals from the USF board.

“Tentative date to start these projects is set for the last week of June and will be completed in 12-18 months,” the officials said.

Apart from the residential and commercial districts, the USF has an extensive plan to cover the national road arteries.

The project to have IT and telecom at M-4 motorway is also likely to be launched next month.

The USF projects at M-3 and M-5 will be complete in the next four to six months, while the Makran coastal highway and NH 50-70 in Balochistan have been covered with the telecom service.

However, work at some parts of the NH 25-65 has been stalled due to local political issues and the authorities were not giving the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to install telecom towers.

It is 75% completed, while the rest of 25% is stuck due to NOC and political disputes.

USF was established 15 years ago but in the first 12 years the pace of implementation of projects was quite slow.

It has established systems to regularly monitor the progress of each project to ensure that they are completed at the set date.

“USF’s motorways and highways programme has achieved broadband coverage on more than 1,929-km of unserved road segments across the country,” an IT official said.

“We are committed to providing an uninterrupted mobile network on all major highways of the country and we are moving fast in this regard,” he said and expressed confidence that this target would be achieved with consistency.

Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Syed Amin Ul Haque chaired the meeting and said infrastructure development for uninterrupted high-speed mobile broadband services was essential at national highways.

He said that optical fibre cable networks at union council’s level was one of the prerequisites for the future digital needs of the country including introduction of 5G.

The minister said that USF was playing a key role to bring broadband services and optical fibre projects in the rural and remote areas across the country, which will help the fulfillment of ‘Digital Pakistan’ initiative.

The upcoming projects of the USF included powering of telecommunication sites through solar energy, to maintain sustainability and financial viability in remote areas where the supply of fuel for power generation was difficult.

Since 2018, the USF has launched 56 projects amounting to more than Rs52 billion, for providing optical fibre cable and broadband services across the country.

The project in Kohistan region had faced delays due to extreme weather conditions and difficult routes, while one project was facing delays in the former FATA areas.

These projects are only 5% of the total projects and 95% of the projects are progressing as per the schedule. USF is a subsidiary of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication to expand the internet and telecom services to remote areas of the country, where the telecom companies and the internet service providers do not enter.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2022.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2355171/usf-to-launch-fibre-optic-project-in-gwadar
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Following my directions to the federal & provincial authorities, emergency relief measures are underway for the residents of Dera Bugti. The situation is being monitored very closely. The federal government will extend its support & assistance to Balochistan.</p>— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1525786211448668160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Local government (LG) elections in Balochistan are being held in 32 districts on Sunday, reported the Election Commission of Balochistan (ECB).

The election commission said that most of the polling stations in the 32 districts of the first phase of LG polls are in remote and sensitive areas, adding that 5,226 polling stations have been set up.

The registered number of candidates is 16,195, including 132 women. The total number of voters in 32 districts is more than 3.5 million.

Voting materials were distributed from the returning officers’ offices and polling began at 8 am according to ECB.

Earlier, while addressing a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan government spokesperson Farah Azeem Shah said that local body elections are being held in Balochistan on May 29 for the first time since 2013.

Read: PM Shehbaz to share coalition govt's economic agenda today

She also stated that the delimitation matter of Quetta and Lasbela was being resolved.

It may be mentioned here that except for the Quetta and Lasbella, and some areas of Zhob and Pishin, LG elections are being held across the province.

The ECP had delayed the elections in the above-mentioned areas because of flaws in the delimitations and delays in the formation of wards for councilors.

Farah also revealed that funds of Rs4.3 million have been released for the election process and that print, electronic and social media are being used to spread awareness about local body elections.

“We hope to get as many people to participate [in voting] as possible”, she added.

The spokesperson also stated that preparations had been made to deal with emergency situations in all districts and that security will also be provided to all the candidates.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared over 2,000 polling stations sensitive and the provincial government has enhanced security to avert any untoward incident during polling.

Express Tribune
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As part of efforts to ease difficulties of people of Gwadar, federal government has decided to provide solar panels for domestic consumers. I have also directed for the completion of work on transmission lines in South Balochistan by Dec & a plan for comprehensive off-grid system</p>— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1535168643327303680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Police arrest 28 protesters demonstrating against 'missing' Baloch students outside Sindh Assembly

Karachi police on Monday manhandled and detained 28 protesters, including females, who were demonstrating near the main gate of the Sindh Assembly against the alleged abduction of two Baloch students of the University of Karachi (KU) by law enforcement agencies.

The two students of KU’s Philosophy Department — Doda Baloch and Ghamshad Baloch — were allegedly taken away from their home near Maskan Chowrangi in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on June 7 and their whereabouts are unknown since then.

Their relatives and members of civil society organisations had set up a camp outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) for the last four days. On Sunday night, they managed to reach the Sindh Assembly's main gate where they staged a sit-in for the release of the missing students. Police and district administration held talks with them, persuading them to vacate the place as the provincial legislature’s budget session was scheduled to be held on Monday (today).

South-SSP Asad Raza told Dawn that the police detained 19 men and nine women as they tried to enter the assembly building on Monday. The officer denied that protesters were treated roughly. He added that woman police officers had detained female protesters.

The SSP said that all detained protesters were later released.

Meanwhile, the protest organisers accused the police of manhandling women and children. They said the Sindh police had retracted from their promise of arranging a meeting of the missing students’ relatives with Counter Terrorism Department officials on Monday. Therefore, they said, they again staged a sit-in near the Sindh Assembly building where the police manhandled and arrested protesters.

Earlier, around 120-130 relatives and members of different organisations, including activists Seemi Din Baloch, Abdul Wahab Baloch, Aamna Baloch, Naghma Sheikh and others, had resumed their march around 4:50pm from the KPC towards the assembly building where the budget session was ongoing. Passing through Sarwar Shaheed Road, they had staged a sit-in at the assembly's gate.

Speaking to the protesters there, Seemi said that taking away students was equal to the "character assassination" of the educational institutes. She said Doda and Ghamshad were students but they were taken away because "being Baloch was a crime". If they had not been Baloch, they would not have been taken away, she said.

Seemi urged Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab to recover the two students. She announced that the protesters would continue their demonstration outside the assembly till the release of the missing students.

Sheikh alleged that people from the Baloch community were being taken away from Quetta, Panjgur and Karachi. She said if two missing Baloch are released, then in return, "10 others are whisked away".

Meanwhile, footage shared on social media showed the police treating the protesters in a rough manner and dispersing them.

'Barbarism at its peak'
PPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar criticised the "use of disproportionate force and arrest of women", adding that such treatment was "highly disturbing".

Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari termed the situation as "barbarism at its peak".

MPA Sanaullah Baloch strongly condemned the Sindh police's "heavy-handedness and inhuman act of violence against innocent and peaceful Baloch women and students".

He said the Sindh government should investigate the incident.

Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo said that Sindh's land should not be used for violence against the Baloch community.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1694624/p...issing-baloch-students-outside-sindh-assembly
 
Doda Ellahi and Ghamshad Baloch — students of Karachi University's Philosophy Department allegedly taken away from their house in the city on June 7 — have returned home, Nasarullah Baloch, chairman of non-profit organisation Voice of Balochistan Missing Persons said on Tuesday.

In a brief confirmation, the activist told Dawn.com that the students returned to their home near Maskan Chowrangi in Gulshan-i-Iqbal after 3am. "They both belong to the Kech district of Balochistan," he added.

Earlier in the day, Shayhaq Ellahi and HudaHair Ellahi, siblings of Doda, had tweeted that their brother and his friend had been "safely released". Shayhaq also posted photographs of the pair. Dawn.com was able to confirm that the accounts belonged to Doda's family members.
 
At least seven dams have been broken in Balochistan after torrential rains in the province, while the death toll has jumped to 127, ARY News reported on Sunday.

According to details, everything has been destroyed due to heavy rains and floods in Balochistan, and the affectees are forced to live under the open sky as thousands of houses have been destroyed.

According to PDMA, 7 dams have broken due to rains in Balochistan, while many dams have been filled with water. The areas have come under water and communication with many cities has been cut off, the floodplain is also moving towards Sindh from Jhal Magsi.

Meerani Dam in Turbat has overflowed, due to which the spillways have opened and water is continuing to flow, the highest level of Meerani Dam is 244 feet, and the current water level is 246 feet.

The water level in the hub dam is 339 feet while the spillway limit is 350 feet, the highest water level in Shadi Kor Dam Gwadar is 54 meters while the current water level is 51.34 meters.

Meanwhile, the water level at Guddu barrage has increased by 20 thousand cusecs during 24 hours, there is low level flood in Tarbela, Chashma, Taunsa, Guddu and Sukkur barrage.
 
EX-BALOCHISTAN HIGH COURT CJ NOOR MESKANZAI SHOT DEAD IN KHARAN

Former chief justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) Muhammad Noor Meskanzai was fatally shot dead in Kharan district on Friday, ARY News reported.

Unidentified assailant opened former BHC CJ Muhammad Noor Meskanzai in Kharan district of Balochistan, leaving him seriously wounded. Meskanzai succumbed to wounds while being shifted to the hospital.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nazeer Kurd said in a statement that the former BHC chief succumbed to injuries while being shifted to Quetta for medical assistance.

According to the media reports, he was targeted by an armed man inside a local mosque when he was offering Isha prayer.

Muhammad Noor Meskanzai served as BHC CJ from 2014 to 2018, whereas, he also performed the responsibility of Shariat court’s chief justice.

Adviser to the Chief Minister for Home Mir Zia Langove took notice of the incident and sought a probe report from the deputy commissioner. He also directed concerned officers to constitute a special team to arrest the culprits behind the gun attack.

ARY
 
daytrader said:
EX-BALOCHISTAN HIGH COURT CJ NOOR MESKANZAI SHOT DEAD IN KHARAN

Former chief justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) Muhammad Noor Meskanzai was fatally shot dead in Kharan district on Friday, ARY News reported.

Unidentified assailant opened former BHC CJ Muhammad Noor Meskanzai in Kharan district of Balochistan, leaving him seriously wounded. Meskanzai succumbed to wounds while being shifted to the hospital.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nazeer Kurd said in a statement that the former BHC chief succumbed to injuries while being shifted to Quetta for medical assistance.

According to the media reports, he was targeted by an armed man inside a local mosque when he was offering Isha prayer.

Muhammad Noor Meskanzai served as BHC CJ from 2014 to 2018, whereas, he also performed the responsibility of Shariat court’s chief justice.

Adviser to the Chief Minister for Home Mir Zia Langove took notice of the incident and sought a probe report from the deputy commissioner. He also directed concerned officers to constitute a special team to arrest the culprits behind the gun attack.

ARY
Click to expand...

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun.

He died while praying Isha salah. May Allah (SWT) give him highest level of Jannah.

I hope the culprit will be caught and will receive the harshest punishment available.
 
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