QUETTA: A shutter-down strike was being observed across Balochistan in the wake of the assassination of Balochistan National Party – Mengal’s Central Secretary-General Habib Jalib Baloch, DawnNews reported.
Members of the BNP-M demonstrated against the killing in various parts of the province, including Quetta, on Thursday.
To disperse angry protestors, police fired tear-gas shells in Quetta’s Sariab road area.
In one area of the city, unknown men resorted to aerial firing during a demonstration. Police fired tear-gas shells to diffuse the situation.
Demonstrations protesting yesterday’s killing were also taking place in other parts of Pakistan’s restive province of Balochistan.
EARLIER REPORT:
Former senator, lawyer and Baloch nationalist leader Habib Jalib Baloch was gunned down near Musa Colony in Quetta Wednesday morning.
Moscow-educated Jalib was the secretary general of the Balochistan Nationalist Party (Mengal group) and former chairman of the Baloch Student Organization (BSO).
The Balochistan National Party (BNP), of which Jalib was senior leader, demands greater provincial autonomy and for the provinces to have control over their resources. BNP party says it believes in a peaceful and democratic struggle for the people of Balochistan to attain the right of self-determination.
According to reports, Habib Jalib was shot dead by three unknown gunmen riding a motorbike on Sariab Road outside his residence in Quetta when he was on his way to the local court.
The gunmen fled after the incident, police said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to police, Habib Jalib was taking his children to school Wednesday morning when three motorbike riding gunmen opened fire at him near Musa Colony at Sariab Road. He was transferred to Civil Hospital Quetta in precarious condition, where he succumbed to his injuries.
A large number of people including BNP workers at the hospital and angrily protested against the incident and forced closure of shops and markets.
Police and F.C. have cordoned off the area and launched hunt for the arrest of the culprits, DIG Police Quetta Hamid Shakeel told the media.
There were reports of disturbances in Mastung, Qalat, Khuzdar, Sorab, Noshki, Jaffarabad, Bela, Hub and Windar in Balochistan after murder of the Baloch leader. The authorities have declared security alert to avoid any untoward incident.
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