Quetta Sit-in Ends Following Government Agreement on Judicial Probe
The sit-in staged by families of police personnel killed in a violent attack in Ziarat has ended after the Balochistan government reached a formal agreement with representatives of a multi-party alliance. The protest, which lasted nine days, concluded at Quetta’s Koyila Phatak, where demonstrators had been gathered alongside the bodies of the seven martyred officers.
According to Shahid Hameed Rind, an aide to the Balochistan Chief Minister, the two sides agreed to the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the incidents in Hanna Urak and the Mangi dam area of Ziarat. The agreement was signed late Friday night by Provincial Home Minister Ziaullah Langove and PkMAP secretary general Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, who represented the families.
Following the deal, protest organizer Abdul Wadood confirmed that arrangements had been made for the burial of the victims, with ambulances arriving at the site to transport the bodies.
Province-Wide Strike in Solidarity
The conclusion of the sit-in followed a province-wide shutter-down strike observed on Friday. In a show of solidarity with the families of the fallen officers, businesses, markets, and shopping malls were closed across numerous districts, including Quetta, Zhob, Loralai, Chaman, and Sibi.
The strike, which was supported by opposition parties and various traders’ organizations—most notably the Central Anjuman-i-Tajran Balochistan—effectively halted normal commercial activity throughout the province. Traders had warned that failure to meet the protesters’ demands and restore security could lead to further, more intense demonstrations.
Context of the Protests
The resolution of the Ziarat protest follows a separate, earlier sit-in on Airport Road regarding the Hanna Urak attack. That previous protest ended last week after 11 abducted individuals were returned to their families.
Negotiations regarding the Ziarat incident had previously faced challenges. Earlier in the week, Balochistan Food Minister Noor Muhammad Dummar had publicly urged the families to form a committee comprised exclusively of the heirs of the martyrs to facilitate talks, arguing that the involvement of political party representatives in the Ziarat Dharna Committee
had rendered previous discussions inconclusive.
Government Commemoration Efforts
In an effort to honor the police personnel who died, the Balochistan government has officially renamed the historic site of the protest, Kohla Phatak Chowk, to Shuhada-e-Ziarat Chowk.
Shahid Rind, the Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information and Political Affairs, stated that the Metropolitan Corporation Quetta issued the official notification for the name change, which has taken immediate effect. Rind emphasized that the decision was made under the leadership of Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti to preserve the legacy of the officers and recognize their sacrifices in the line of duty.
Government officials have reaffirmed their commitment to the welfare of the martyrs’ families, noting that further details regarding the implementation of the judicial commission are expected to be released in the coming days.
