QUETTA: A large number of people, including minorities, have migrated to other areas of Balochistan due to the ongoing gun battle between two rival groups of Mengal tribe in the Wadh area of Khuzdar district in which three persons have been killed and 10 others injured.

Both the groups broke the ceasefire they had agreed last week as a result of efforts made by Nawab Aslam Raisani, the chief of Sarawan tribes, and other tribal elders.

Officials said that after breaking the ceasefire, both sides have been using heavy weapons against each other for the last one week which caused closure of all bazaars, shops and business centres and created shortages of food and other essential items in Wadh town and its surrounding areas.

Traffic was also badly affected as the local administration had no other option but to close the Khuzdar-Karachi Highway when rival groups fired rockets and mortar shells at each other’s passions.

The local population has started moving to other areas to save their lives and avoid any big loss due to the continued exchange of fire.

Hindu traders were mostly leaving Wadh as their business has been badly affected due to closure of all bazaars.

“A large of number of families shifted to other towns of Balochistan and Sindh to protect their lives. Most people belonging to the Hindu community have fled Wadh. Around 300 families of the Hindu community were living in Wadh, but now majority of them shifted to other areas of Khuzdar, Hub and Bela,” said a local resident on condition of anonymity.

He said bazaars and business centres had opened during the week-long ceasefire between the supporters of Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Shafiq Mengal, but now again they have been closed.

He said the government and local administration should come forward and resolve the issue which is going to linger on.

Educational institutions have been closed due to the worsening situation in Wadh. Officials said they had not received any information about food shortage in the area, though the shifting of families to safer areas could not be ruled out.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2023