QUETTA: Tribesmen, family members and political workers continued their protest on the third consecutive day on Sunday, blocking roads and highways in different areas against the kidnapping of 11-year-old student Mohammad Musawir as police and members of other law-enforcement agen­­cies failed to recover or trace whereabouts of the kidnapped student.

The boy was kidnapped by armed men while going home from school in a van in Patel Bagh area three days ago. He is the son of a prominent tribal elder.

The protesters blocked Quetta-Chaman Highway on Sunday which connects the provincial capital with northern areas of the province.

Traffic remained suspended between Quetta-Chaman, Pishin, Zhob and Loralai for hours due to the blockade of Quetta-Cha­m­an Highway that also affected the Afghan transit trade and other import and export business.

Protestors also blocked the main Zarghoon road at Serena Chowk and Airport road, causing suspension of traffic on these roads which caused huge traffic jams in the provincial capital and created great difficulties for the people as all kinds of vehicles remained stuck up at various roads for several hours.

The protestors, however, opened the roads late in the evening with an annou­ncement that they will continue their protest until the recovery of the student.

Meanwhile, the President of the Central Traders Association of Balochistan, Muhammad Rahim Kakar, told a press conference on Sunday that a protest strike will be observed on November 19 (Tuesday) in Quetta against worsening law and order situation in the province.

He said that despite the passage of three days the law-enforcement agencies have failed to recover the kidnapped student.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2024