DERA MURAD JAMALI: A large number of people blocked a highway between Balochistan and Sindh near Nasirabad on Thursday in protest against the gang rape of a nomad woman allegedly by three policemen.

Former provincial minister Mir Abdul Ghafoor Lehri, PML-N’s MPA Mir Haji Mohammad Khan Lehri and Chairman of District Council Nasirabad Sardar Changez Khan Sasoli participated in the protest.

The rape victim told journalists that she was collecting dry wood in a place near the highway when three policemen forcibly took her away in a vehicle.

The crying woman said she was taken to a house where the three raped her.

The protesters said some police personnel in eastern Balochistan were involved in criminal activities, including sexual assault, kidnapping for ransom, narcotics trade and highway robberies.

They alleged that several people with criminal backgrounds had been inducted into police service, particularly in Nasirabad and neighbouring districts.

Taking notice of the incident, the Nasirabad DPO suspended the services of the rape suspects and initiated a departmental inquiry against them. The suspended cops were identified as Mohammad Yousuf, Asghar Ali and Ghulam Abbas.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2015

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