QUETTA:
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has accused police of using excessive force against demonstrators in the provincial capital, claiming that they opened fire on peaceful protesters, killing three people and injuring dozens, including seven in critical condition.
However, Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind refuted the allegations, stating that the protesters resorted to stone-pelting and unprovoked violence, injuring several police officers, including a female constable.
The government maintained that law enforcement acted in accordance with the law to clear a blocked national highway, while BYC insisted that security forces used unnecessary force to suppress a peaceful demonstration.
The authorities have sealed Red Zone, citing security concerns and the need to maintain public order.
The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and the National Party (NP) condemned what they describe as excessive force against peaceful demonstrators and urged the government to engage in dialogue to resolve the situation.
Dr Mahrang Baloch, the chief of BYC, is leading the protest and has vowed to continue the sit-in at Saryab Road, demanding justice for the victims.
On Thursday, relatives of missing persons, who had been demanding they be allowed to identify dead bodies brought to the Civil Hospital, had managed to take away a number of corpses from the hospital morgue.
While it was not clear whether they had positively identified the bodies as belonging to their missing loved ones, hospital officials told Dawn that protesters linked to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) forced their way into the morgue and took away at least five bodies.
