A peaceful sit-in protest in Khuzdar turned violent yesterday when armed men of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sanaullah Zehri opened fire on demonstrators. Reportedly, a deputy and bodyguards of Zehri fired indiscriminately into the crowd, resulting in injuries to a number of protesters.
The sit-in, organized to demand the recovery of Zaheer Ahmed and the release of arrested protesters, was part of ongoing demonstrations in the region. Zaheer was reportedly taken into illegal custody in Quetta on June 27 and subsequently disappeared.
Video footage of the incident appears to show the vehicle and individuals involved in the shooting, inflicting violence and brutality on the peaceful protesters. This incident shows the complete breakdown of machinery of Pak-Occupied-Balochistan. The attack has been widely condemned as a violation of democratic principles and human rights.
Protesters at the sit-in, which included women, were calling for accountability regarding forced disappearances and human rights abuses by authorities, particularly the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). The CTD has been conducting numerous violations, including illegal raids, harassment of civilians, and extrajudicial killings.
This incident has reignited discussions about the long-standing tensions in Pak-occupied-Balochistan, with activists pointing to a history of violence against the Baloch community dating back to March 27, 1948.