SHANGLA: The infuriated residents of different areas of the district here on Wednesday took to streets and blocked Bisham-Swat road to protest killing of two coalminers in Balochistan province.

Chanting slogans against the Balochistan government and law enforcement agencies, the protesters placed the bodies of the slain miners on the road at Alpuri Chowk and blocked the road to traffic.

Organised by Shangla Coalmine Workers Rights Association, the protest was attended by local political leaders, social activists and members of civil society.

The protesters offered funeral prayers of both the miners -- Inayatur Rehman of Kaho Mayar and Gul Hakim Shah of Kandaw Shahpur -- at Alpuri Chowk.

Protesters offer funeral prayers of slain workers on road

Speaking on the occasion, Ali Bhash Khan, the vice-president of Coalmine Workers Federation, said that the slain miners had no personal enmity with anyone. They were earning a livelihood for their families, he added.

“We want justice for the victims as it is the third incident of killing of Shangla miners in Balochistan within a month. The Balochistan government should compensate the families of the slain miners in the same way as it had compensated the members of Hazara community last year,” said Mr Khan.

Gulab Shahpur, a miner, said that such incidents were taking place owing to failure of the Balochistan government and law enforcement agencies to arrest the killers of the slain miners.

He said that the Balochistan government should devise a policy to allow the companies to hire private security guards to protect the miners and other workers.

Former senator Maulana Rahat Hussain said that many anti-state elements were active in Balochistan to target miners. He said that no one was safe owing to presence of those elements there.

He said that the chief minister of Balochistan should take stern action against such elements to protect the lives of people.

Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully when DPO Rahim Shah assured them that the issue would be taken up with the commissioner of and regional police officer of Malakand to discuss it with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2021