QUETTA, March 6: The assessment committee on Saturday forwarded to Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf the claims submitted to the district coordination officer by those whose property had been torched by protesters after a terrorist attack on an Ashura procession here on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the district Nazim city government told this correspondent that the owners of destroyed shops, houses, cinema-houses and vehicles had filed some 220 claims. Most of the properties burnt are on located on Liaquat Bazaar, Prince Road, Masjid Road, Mecongy Road, Arif Street and Motiram Road.

In reply to a question, the spokesman said the highest claim was worth Rs20 million and the lowest worth Rs120,000.

Meanwhile, representatives of Anjuman-i-Tajran warned that the business community would not reopen shops till the government paid compensation.

The traders' organizations demanded a ban on all processions through bazaars, saying on the one hand business activities were disturbed during the passage of a procession and on the other the community faced the wrath of protesters in the event of an unpleasant situation. The assessment committee is headed by District Nazim City Government Mohammad Rahim Kakar and it comprises the DCO, district administrative officer (revenue) and two representatives each from Anjuman-i-Tajran Balochistan and Markazi Anjuman-i-Tajran.