QUETTA: Parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Balochistan Assembly Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind has accused the Balochistan government of trying to protect the alleged killers of PTI workers in Kachhi.

He announced that the family members of the victims and the people of Kachhi would block the Quetta-Jacobabad highway in protest against incident on Wednesday (today), saying that the blockade of the highway would continue till the arrest of people nominated in the FIR. He was speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said three PTI workers were killed and two others injured in Kachhi district four months ago over a land dispute. He said their families had nominated some people in the FIR, but the local administration has so far not arrested them.

Mr Rind said the alleged killers of the PTI workers had held meetings with the chief minister and other officials. He alleged that some government officials were putting pressure on the police officials investigating the incident to remove the names of two accused from the FIR.

He claimed that some government officials had informed the victims’ families that action could not be taken against the people who had been nominated in the FIR.

Mr Rind called upon the inspector general of Balochistan Police to not obey illegal orders of anyone and arrest the people who were nominated in the FIR.

He also accused the people nominated in the FIR of threatening the victims’ families and forcing them to withdraw the case against them.

He appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the incident so that the killers of the PTI workers could be taken to task.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2022