QUETTA: The sit-in against the alleged extrajudicial killing of Balaach Mola Bakhsh entered the fifth day on Monday as no headway was made in talks between protesters and authorities.

All shops remained closed due to a shutter down strike as family members, along with supporters of the Baloch Yakjehti Council (BYC) and political parties, held sit-ins at the D-Baloch China-Pakistan Economic Corridor road linking Turbat to Karachi and other areas, suspending all kinds of traffic.

The family members are holding the sit-in with the victim’s body.

The FIR into the killing, ordered by the Turbat session judge on Friday, has yet to be registered.

Baloch Yakjehti Council leaders and victim’s family members alleged that Najma Baloch, Mr Bakhsh’s sister, was taken to an unknown place by officials of the Kech District Council chairman’s office for talks.

“There was no contact as her mobile phone remained silent for many hours,” they alleged and added that on her return, Ms Baloch claimed that authorities were pressuring her to call off the sit-in and bury her brother.

The participants have, however, refused to call off the sit-in until the FIR was registered and a judicial inquiry was announced into the alleged extrajudicial killing of Mr Bakhsh in CTD custody.

“We will not come under any pressure to end the protest,” vowed BYC leaders.

They announced a complete shutter down and wheel jam strike across Makran division on Tuesday (today) and urged traders and transporters to observe the strike.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2023