QUETTA, Jan 8: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairperson Asma Jahangir and other members of her delegation escaped an armed attack in the Kashmore area of Punjab on Sunday. According to reports received here, she was on her way to Sui leading the HRCP delegation to review Sui and Dera Bugti situation.
She told BBC that armed men had opened fire on the vehicles when they were about 4 km from Balochistan border.
She said that when her driver reversed the vehicle the armed men took position and also fired shots on the vehicle of journalists travelling with the delegation.
She said that the delegation immediately informed the security officials of a nearby checkpost during which the armed men disappeared.
She blamed the security forces for attacking the delegation and alleged that they wanted to stop them from visiting Dera Bugti and Sui.
“Obviously it is known they wanted to stop us from visiting areas where military operation is being launched,” she said.
After the incident the delegation went back to Kashmore abandoning its plan to visit Dera Bugti and Sui.
Meanwhile, a man claming spokesman of the Baloch Liberation Army and identifying himself as Col Doda Baloch said that the BLA had conducted the attack on the HRCP delegation.
“BLA accepts the responsibility of the attack on HRCP chairperson Asma Jahangir,” he told media men in the Quetta Press Club while calling from some unknown place on Sunday night.
He said that while forces of oppression from Punjab had launched an operation against the Baloch people their representatives were visiting just to sprinkle salt on their wounds.
“Our issue can be resolved only by United Nations and we are not ready to accept any decision taken by anyone except the UN,” Col Doda said.
ATTACK CONDEMNED: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Sunday strongly condemned an incident of firing on its delegation, heading towards Dera Bugti, near the Mari check post, adds PPI.
HRCP General Secretary Iqbal Haider told newsmen here that the HRCP had invited Senator Mushahid Hussain and other leaders of the ruling party to accompany them to visit the affected areas where law-enforcement forces were deployed.
