GWDAR: A rally was organised in Panj­gur town on Friday to protest against the murder of religious scholar and district deputy emir of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Abdul Hayee Baloch and the administrator of a religious seminary.

Hundreds of JUI-F workers and other people gathered in the town on the protest call of the All Parties Urban Citizens Action Committee, Panjgur. The protesters carried placards and banners inscribed with their demands.

The protesters led by Nazir Baloch, chairman of the action committee, and leaders of other parties started a march from the main mosque of the town. They walked through different roads before gathering at Bismillah Chowk. They were chanting slogans against the government and elements involved in the murder.

Addressing the protesters, Mir Nazir Ahmed Baloch, Hafiz Mohammad Azam Baloch, Asharf Sagar, Kafayatullah Baloch and others strongly condemned the JUI-F leader’s murder and termed it a targeted killing and terrorist act.

They said the government had failed to protect the life and property of the people and the killing of innocent people and security officials had become the order of the day.

They said that for the last few months there had been an increase in terrorist attacks in Panjgur. The government had failed to maintain law and order in Panjgur where the people were living in a state of fear.

They said Maulana Hayee was targeted just a few metres away from the house of a district police officer in the broad daylight. Security agencies has so far been unsuccessful in arresting his killers.

They said a policeman was also killed in the town recently.

The All Parties Civil Action Committee has decided to observe a shutter-down strike in Panjgur on Saturday in protest against the unrest and target killing of Maulana Hayee.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2021