QUETTA: Political and religious parties of Balochistan on Saturday condemned the kidnapping of Jamiat Ahle Hadees provincial chief Maulana Ali Muhammad Turab and said they would observe a strike in the city on Sept 12.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Senator Hafiz Hamdullah of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Maulana Abdul Haq of Jamaat-i-Islami and Maulana Abdul Qadir Luni of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Nazaryati as well as many other leaders demanded taking all possible steps for early recovery of the abducted leader.

They warned that political and religious parties and members of the civil society would mount a massive protest if the authorities failed to meet their demand.

They said a strike would be observed in the provincial capital on Sept 12, adding that future line of action would be devised in view of the government’s response.

Most of the leaders were of the view that the provincial government had failed to maintain law and order in Balochistan as the religious scholar was kidnapped in broad daylight along with his son and two others.

“Kidnapping of four persons from a busy road puts a question mark on the performance of the law enforcement agencies,” they said.

They demanded that the provincial government resign because bomb blasts, robberies and kidnappings had become a norm in the region.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2017